Kate Middleton, who turns 40 on Sunday, has accomplished a lot in her short time: a seemingly perfect marriage, three adorable children with surprisingly normal upbringings, numerous charitable projects, and a hobby that has already turned into an impressive book: photography. And while she seems to have handled it all with utter ease, some of her friends have revealed that not all of the royal duties expected of Duchess Kate come naturally.

A friend of Kate's who spoke to the Daily Mail said, "'Public life is full of extroverts, people who want to be in the limelight and enjoy it. She is not one of them." Instead, the friend explained, Kate is a very private person who prefers to stay home with her children rather than go out (we previously reported on another friend who explained that she always wanted to just have a house in the country rather than fame). ) "If she wasn't in love with William, there is no way that Princess Catherine would be doing anything in public. She is very open about it," the friend added.

So how does being an introvert affect Kate when it comes to her royal responsibilities? Says the friend, "She doesn't like to go to parties, prefers to stay at home and live quietly with her family." Nevertheless, Kate knows that her duties sometimes have to outweigh her personal preferences. But she fell in love with the prince, and the two developed into a really good team."

The friend also had some endearing things to say about Kate's relationship with Prince William." William and the kids are the center of her world, and nothing works without family." They have worked hard as a couple to find a balance, and no matter what happens next, they are doing it from a stable place."

That is consistent with what we know about Kate's parenting style: by all accounts, the Cambridges are raising their children as normally as possible. Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend a normal school where they are not treated differently from other children.

Frankly, the fact that Kate is a little uncomfortable in public makes her effortless confidence and gravitas at events all the more impressive.