20 Times Kate Middleton Looked Anything but Royal
She's the Duchess of Cambridge, indeed, and she usually looks every inch a royal -- from historic tiara to Louboutin heels -- whether visiting a charity or attending a state dinner. But that doesn't mean Kate Middleton is all pomp and circumstance all the time. It's not like she was born into royalty. She had to learn and adapt to it after snagging her handsome future king, Prince William, and marrying him in a spectacular wedding -- which means that she generally looks way more relaxed and friendlier than the rest of the Windsor clan put together, and occasionally, she might want to dress down a bit more than royals who have come before her.
Kate Middleton is not exactly the type to show up to a sailing competition wearing a buttoned up dress and dowdy pumps, know what we mean? She's there to be hands on, and that usually means and acting like a regular person who just happens to wear a 12-carat sapphire on her ring finger. And honestly, can anyone really blame the woman for? We certainly can't.
Kate grew up solidly upper middle class, born to a pilot and and a flight attendant who built their own multimillion dollar business, and she didn't have the expectation of wearing a dress and heels every single time she left the house. Sometimes, she just wants to look and act, well, normal! She's always been so adamant about being a "regular" person while still holding a title, from hugging kids she meets on outings to trying her hand at any sport team whose event she's supporting with a visit. So we can totally see why Kate makes the effort to keep it simple sometimes.
Add to that a love for the outdoors and sports, and of course she's not going to stick to tweed suits and frilly dresses, as if she'd just emerged from having tea with the queen. Would anyone expect her to chase Prince George around on a field in 3-inch heels? We didn't think so -- though with her strong physique, we're pretty sure she could!
Under her gorgeous clothes and fancy title, Kate is a regular girl just like the rest of us, and we love her for it. Here are 20 times she looked anything but royal, and the results were as amazing as ever.
Social Climber
Kate may wear knockout Alexander McQueen gowns and tiaras on the regular, but as a beacon of fitness and an active lifestyle, she's definitely not afraid to rock less-than-glamorous headgear -- like this rock-climbing helmet. Still, we're sure she specified that she didn't want any from-the-ground pics of her climbing. Nobody wants to see that angle of themselves in a tabloid!
Full of Sass
Try imagining Queen Elizabeth II's buttoned up daughter, Princess Anne, in shorts. Yeah, we can't do it, either. And truth be told, Kate doesn't often show this much (incredibly toned!) leg -- even in a casual look. But it's perfectly fitting for day at the King's Cup Regatta. A decidedly un-princess-y bonus: Kate is clearly passing on the importance of fun to Princess Charlotte.
Mommy Gear 101
At first glance, this looks like a picture of mommy fashion icon Katie Holmes, who also favors simple striped shirts and jeans. This unfussy look, complete with pushed up sunglasses and child-on-hip as accessories, is exactly what we wear to our littles' soccer practice, if not a polo match.
Cute & Comfy
Every time we see Kate in a zip-up, we squeal. It's such a normal look that we pull out of the back of our own closet at any time, especially in basic black. It doesn't exactly say, "I don't care how I look," but definitely says, "I'm tired of coat dresses and heels," in our opinion. She reminds us of our college co-ed days.
Game On
Given how many times NBA players crash into the court-side seats, we're kind of surprised the duchess is sitting right there. But then again, she's a huge sports fan and athlete, so sitting in a remote luxury box with a bunch of hedge fund manager types probably wasn't going to satisfy -- especially when she could get talk ball with an NBA legend like Dikembe Mutombo.
Chowing Down
No delicate tea cakes and sandwiches here! When Kate and Prince William caught an NBA game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Brooklyn Nets, they snacked on some traditional stadium popcorn. Wonder if she got a diet soda, like we do, ya know, to cut through the theater-style butter.
Handling the Terrible Twos
All moms know that look. It's the one we have when we've-had-just-about-enough of a toddler in the midst of an epic meltdown, and are ready to hand him off to someone, anyone who'll take them. We're betting either Prince William or the nanny is standing just beyond the frame of this pic.
Queen of the Court
If Princess Diana's unexpected superpower was relating to regular people through empathy, Kate's superpower has to be setting an example of a healthy and active lifestyle. And, oh yeah, doing it in heels at the drop of a hat, at events like this visit to the Olympic Park during the 2012 London Olympics.
We're Team Kate!
Sports Nut
We love this so much! Kate, seen here at the London Olympics, doesn't just look shocked at what's happening but has that judgmental squint that makes her look like she's about to yell at the ref over a bad call. We bet her rant would be epic, too, because as a lifelong athlete, she sure knows her sports.
Come Sail Away
"Let's hope this goes better than Gilligan's Island," is what we think Kate is signaling to the cameras with her shrug. Like Kate, we have no idea how to drive (or whatever it's called) a big old sailboat, especially with the wind kicking up, but we do know that both hands go on the wheel. Remember to place those hands at 10 and 2 o'clock, Kate!
Play Ball
In a parallel universe, Kate is still famous, but not for being a great mom and future queen with a beautiful smile. She's a girl-next-door turned professional athlete, maybe even the Olympic kind who participates in like 10 very British-y, Harvard-y sports like field hockey and rowing. We root for her!
We've So Been There
OK, admittedly, everything about this picture screams "royal," from the fancy military outfits, to, well, the presence of Prince William. But, but. This moment, when Kate's heel gets stuck in a grate, and she's trying to pry it out, while a group of men stand around looking helpless? Happens to us almost weekly.
Out for a Walk
There have been plenty of Regular Kate sightings in public spaces over the years, like Kensington Gardens, a public park, which is next to Kate's home at Kensington Palace. We imagine they start out with scenarios like the one in this picture: Kate walking with a mom friend or with her own kids and dog, with zero fanfare. Just a mom being a mom.
Casual Look Barbie
She may have the impossibly toned legs of a treadmill goddess, but Kate chose a normal outfit to wait for the Olympic torch before the London Olympics in 2012: Just a simple white polo shirt, dyed skinny jeans, wedges, and loose hair. If that doesn't say un-royal, nothing does.
She's a Natural
What's so strange about a duchess holding down a kicking sheep and shearing off its wool, while wearing what's probably the world's most famous and valuable engagement ring? Everything. But as a hands-on mom who has certainly wrangled a wild toddler or two in her time?
This is really not so different.
Snow Bunny
If it weren't for the cameras present and ready to capture every slip and slide, Kate would look like just another sporty woman hitting the slopes in a classic ski outfit. We're sure she's thankful that even the paparazzi can't follow her all the way down the mountain.
Or can they?
Oopsie Daisy
Yup, we do the same thing when we tour a vineyard AFTER the wine tasting: Ya know, stumble on our high heels, because they got stuck on grass. It's not at all because we indulged in the pinot, and the zinfandel, and the cabernet, but had none of the crackers and cheese, because, ya know, carbs and fat.
Nope.
Partying Past
Kate wasn't always a duchess, of course. Once upon a time, the daughter of parents who worked hard to build up a party supply company, was once a normal girl who liked to go out with her friends, party, and get buzzed. There are lots of pictures that can attest to that, and we sometimes wonder if she misses life as it was, just a little bit.
Look of Love
Aside from their famous wedding day kiss, Kate and Prince William have rarely engaged in PDA, unlike the openly affectionate Meghan and Harry. But at a polo trophy award ceremony, they did. While William looks pleased but decidedly embarrassed, Kate is all in, as if the cameras and the ogling eyes weren't there.