Unintentionally working on her fitness! Kate Middleton revealed to a fan on Monday, April 11, how she dropped the baby weight after her pregnancies with Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Us Weekly‘s European bureau chief, Omid Scobie (who’s with the couple and other select members of the press on their tour of India and Bhutan) was on hand to observe Duchess Kate and Prince William at Queen Elizabeth II‘s 90th birthday party in Delhi, India, on Monday night.
After the Duke, 33, delivered his speech honoring his “granny,” the royal couple chatted with some of the 2,000 guests, who came from academia, military service, politics and the business world. Party guest Professor Bulbul Dhar-James asked the Duchess her secret to looking so thin.
“We said, ‘How do you lose all the weight after having two kids?'” the scholar tells Us Weekly. “And she said, ‘I am running after my kids.'” The Duke, 33, and Duchess, 34, welcomed their second child, little Charlotte, in May 2015. Their son, Prince George, was born in July 2013.
Professor Dhar-James also had some additional questions for the Duchess, including how she manages to stay so cheerful throughout the couple’s many (and likely tiring) engagements. “I asked her, ‘Aren’t you tired of smiling?'” Dhar-James tells Us. “And she said, ‘I’m just reciprocating. Everyone is so warm.'”
Nissan’s Head of Communications, Deepa Thomas Sutcliffe, also had the honor of speaking to the Duchess of Cambridge at the swanky occasion, where Middleton wore a dress by British designer Alice Temperley. “I told the Duchess I have been a huge Royal fan my whole life and I adored Princess Diana,” Sutcliffe, 40, who’s married to Paul Sutcliffe from the British High Commission, tells Us Weekly. “She said, ‘Unfortunately, I never had the pleasure of meeting her.'”
The event on Monday night was held on the lawns at the residence of the British High Commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith in Delhi.
The Duke kicked off the night by delivering a speech about his “granny” and her love for India. “This is the first time Catherine and I have been to India and we have been incredibly impressed to see just how much this great country is on the move, and how India’s dynamism is matched by the warmth and welcome of its diverse people,” Prince William told attendees. “The Queen is very fond of India, having visited this great country three times during her reign.”
William also noted that he was “so glad” that his kids, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, had “the chance to get to know” the British monarch. “George and Charlotte, too, will discover how lucky they are to have such a wonderful great-grandmother – a role model for the rest of their lives,” William told the crowd. “Now, it is important that everyone here tonight understands that I am here as the Queen’s representative. She may be my grandmother, but she is also very much the boss!”
The Duke of Cambridge delivered a message from his grandmother that read: “Prince Philip and I send our warmest good wishes to all you attending this special garden party. I am delighted that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been able to join you this afternoon during their visit to your country. I have fond memories of our previous visits to India. This event today is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the enduring friendship between our two countries, our shared culture and the business opportunities we can create together. It is with great pleasure that I entrust another generation of my family to strengthen and renew our bonds. Signed, Elizabeth R.”
After delivering the message, Prince William joked: “Now I can report back to Granny that I have done my duty!” Stay with Us Weekly for all the latest details from the Duke and Duchess’ 2016 royal tour in India and Bhutan.
