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Kate Middleton shared a candid admission about the challenges of royal life during a Buckingham Palace reception<\/a> on Tuesday. The event was held to mark the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth\u2019s birth<\/a> on April 21.<\/p>\n Speaking to a small group of women at the event, the Princess of Wales acknowledged that large gatherings present a particular difficulty. \u201cI find these environments are really hard. I\u2019ve also got a very soft voice, so I always get told, \u2018Speak up a bit louder!\u2019\u201d Kate told a guest in a video shared to social media<\/a>.<\/p>\n The comment was consistent with remarks she has made about shyness over the years. Kate became a working royal following her marriage to Prince William in 2011. But during her engagement interview<\/a> in November 2010, she recalled their first meeting and told him, \u201cI actually think I went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off, feeling very shy about meeting you.\u201d In 2019, at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, the then-Duchess of Cambridge reportedly pulled aside a timid young girl for a quiet chat in a small tent, telling her that she goes there herself when she is feeling shy. The girl\u2019s mother later told Hello<\/em><\/a> that her daughter is also shy and \u201cdoesn\u2019t talk too much to people\u2014and [Kate] took her over to speak to her. She was really nice with her.\u201d<\/p>\n