Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has been a member of the Royal Family for over a decade and has won the hearts of the nation with her down-to-earth nature and genuine persona – including a little-known ‘moment of magic’ with some ‘mischievous’ children…
Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, is gearing up to celebrate her 13th wedding anniversary with Prince William at the end of April. Known for her effortless charm and relatable nature, Kate has been winning hearts ever since she joined the Royal fold. Matt Hyde, the CEO of the Scouts, who has worked with Kate for over a decade, shared his insights with the Mirror, praising her genuine character both in the spotlight and away from it.
Having volunteered with the Scouts since January 2012, shortly after her Royal induction, Kate was later made Joint President of the Scouts Association in September 2020. Her commitment to staying actively engaged with the organisations she supports is well-known.
Matt fondly remembered his favourite moment with Kate during an early year’s pilot that the princess took part in – that saw the Princess embrace a “mischievous moment” with some cheeky children that was a “moment of magic”.
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After the press photographers had moved on to get into place ready for the next event, Kate stayed behind to continue playing with the kids.
He revealed: “[Kate] had been left with the young people who really wanted to do den building with her. They wanted to check whether it was waterproof or not. It was great, they made her go in there and they were all there armed with water to check if it was going to go on top of them.”
“Suddenly you could see that the press were missing out on this fantastic picture running back to get this incredible image. It was just that moment of magic you could see unfolding, and there was this slightly mischievous moment from these four and five year olds. But she absolutely went with it.”
Discussing his experiences with the princess, Matt is adamant that “what you see is what you get”.
Matt added: “She’s totally charming and very good at putting people at ease. As you imagine, whether you’re a scout leader or a young person, when you’re meeting the [then] Duchess of Cambridge some people are in awe or starstruck.”
He further commented on her authenticity, stating: “Behind the scenes she’s consistent with what you see in public. I think there are some people in the public eye who have such resonance with the public, and that’s because what you see is what you get. She’s fantastic at asking the right questions and listening to people. She’s naturally good at engaging with people of all ages. She really does bring the best out of young people and she really wants to hear their stories.”
Matt added: “It’s always such an exciting moment when you get to spend time with her and you can see her shine but also bring the best out of others. She’s not afraid to muck in and get involved and the children love that. Some of the younger ones have a view of what’s going to arrive as a princess, like a Disney princess or something like that, so that always takes a bit of getting used to.”
He further explained: “We’ve tried to align things we want to talk about as Scouts with things she’s passionate about, whether that’s younger years or mental health. She’s good at asking the right questions in order for them to talk and share their own stories. That’s pretty amazing. If you’re a young person and you’ve had that experience you’ll think about that for the rest of your life. For that moment you’re their sole focus of attention. It’s really powerful. I think we underestimate that at our peril, there is a bit of joy. It’s a privilege to see as it really lights up people’s lives.”
Kate’s involvement with Scouts has brought them into the spotlight and encouraged thousands more people to get involved.
Matt shared: “We’ve had fantastic engagement with her ever since [she joined]. It was such a brilliant opportunity to promote flexible volunteering, which is what she did helping out with a Cub pack in Anglesey. The advantage of being a volunteer herself is that she isn’t daunted by [getting involved] and she enjoys doing it. This is something that is really core to her belief and what she’s passionate about. She’s experienced the power of being outdoors on her own well-being and the family’s well-being, and she wants other people to experience that as well. She’s an incredible role model for the girls and young women in the Scout movement.”
Kate always makes sure she fits the part at Scouting events, often seen wearing her Scout Scarf tied in a Friendship Knot.
“Rather than the traditional Woggle, it’s a bit more of a relaxed style. Across the world there are 55 million Scouts and all of them wear one and that’s one of the things that binds us all together,” Matt explained. “When we do things with [Kate] I’m always being contacted by Scouts who have seen the coverage and the footage. Her impact is far bigger than what is felt in the UK. It has a really, really big impact.”
