Kate Middleton let's slip late Queen's hidden passion - and it's very unroyal

The late Queen Elizabeth was consistently a seriously popular figure in the UK, but few aspects of her private personality were ever on show - until Kate let one slip

In public the late Queen Elizabeth was a dab hand at maintaining the formal mask required by her role. Bound to be politically neutral as a constitutional monarch, she was adept at keeping her private opinions to herself - along with much of her personality.

While the British public knew of her passion for horse racing and riding, along with her beloved pack of corgis and devotion to her Christian faith, many of the late Queen's passions and interests were pretty much a mystery to the UK. However, back in 2016, Kate was taking part in a documentary to mark Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday, and she revealed a lot about what the Queen was really like behind closed doors in her private, family time.

Kate said in the documentary while it might be natural to assume that the late Queen Elizabeth was a figure surrounded by the "grandeur" associated with her regal role at all times, she was actually far more down to earth than that - and this was something Kate found relatable.

"You would expect a lot of grandeur and a lot of fuss, but actually what really resonates with me is her love for the simple things," Kate said. The now-Princess of Wales also told a sweet story about her first Christmas with the late Queen, when she had no idea what to get her grandmother-in-law as a gift - what do you get the woman who has everything after all.

The Royal Family is said to tend toward gag gifts, or smaller presents during the festive season, rather than grand, expensive gifts, but Kate still wasn't sure to get the monarch.

"She really cares and she is hugely thoughtful. I can remember being at Sandringham for the first time at Christmas and I was worried what to give the Queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking, 'Gosh what do I give her?'

"And I thought back to perhaps what would I give my own grandparents and I thought I'd make her something—which could have gone horribly wrong - but I decided to make some of my granny's recipe for chutney, and was slightly worried about it but I noticed the next day that it was on the table.

"And I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me, and I've noticed since that she's done that on lots of occasions, and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness really and her care in looking after everybody," Kate revealed.

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