A former Royal Family staffer has described how Kate Middleton’s kind gesture to staff which left them touched is an insight into why she’s so popular with the public

Staff working for the Royal Family were left touched after Princess Kate introduced her youngest son to them, a former aid has revealed.

The Princess of Wales has always had a warm relationship with those working for her and is thought of as “very popular” with them. Kate, 42, is known for taking a hands on approach and dividing her time between her husband, kids and royal duties, which may explain why her popular persona to the public spreads into her personal life and attitude.

An anonymous former staff explained: “Prince William wants it to be casual. The kids run around the office, and he does not want it to be stuffy. If we have important meetings or are going to Buckingham Palace, then, of course, we [dress up].”

Staff were ‘touched’ after Kate introduced her youngest son to them (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

The couple have been known to divert away from the Royal norm on a number of occasions, including rejecting traditional parenting methods for a more modern approach while caring for their three children. Kate and William want their youngsters to be able to talk about their feelings instead of losing their temper and raising their voices, with one insider claiming shouting is “off limits” in their homes.

Qualified early years practitioner and parenting consultant Kirsty Ketle recently spoke about Kate’s approach to raising her children – and explained why she believes it’s an approach for parents to follow. She said the Princess is “fast becoming an icon” in the parenting and early years world and it’s all down to her own work.

She explained: “Google can give you one of many suggestions on how best to parent, but one of the most common patterns in raising children is by parents following their own parents’ style and methods,” she said. “In Kate’s case, she has a tight-knit family and her childhood home was full of love.”

Kate’s approach to parenting is popular among many mothers (Image: Getty Images)

In March, Kate revealed her “huge shock” at being diagnosed with cancer in an emotional video message. She underwent “major abdominal surgery” in January and at the time of her operation, it was thought that her condition was non-cancerous, as no tests had confirmed the presence of cancer.

However, post-operative tests confirmed that cancer had been present. In her heartfelt statement to the world confirming her diagnosis, recorded in Windsor on Wednesday, Kate spoke of “an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family”. Here’s what we know so far about her diagnosis, her treatment, how her family are coping and when she might return to royal duties.

On January 16, Kate had abdominal surgery at the London Clinic and tests at the time showed her condition was non-cancerous. However, post-operative tests found cancer had been present – it is not known when Kate found this out. In her video message, Kate said the surgery was successful and she needed time to recover from the major operation before she could start the treatment. The type of cancer is battling has not been disclosed. Kensington Palace said no further medical information will be shared, and that Kate has a right to medical privacy just like everyone else.