Prince William has 'made excuses to avoid spending time with Kate Middleton's family'

The Prince of Wales has a tight bond with the Middleton clan, but he has reportedly also made excuses to avoid spending time with them in the past - and you won't believe the reason why

Prince William has an incredibly close relationship with his in-laws, the Middleton family. But he has made excuses to avoid spending time with them in the past - for a very surprising reason.

It's no secret that William and Kate share a competitive streak, and aren't afraid to go head-to-head in games or sports during their royal engagements. But it seems the Princess takes the crown.

According to a royal author, the Middleton family's games nights are all a bit much for the future King. Christopher Andersen said: "Competition runs in the royal blood. No one enjoyed a spirited contest more than the late Queen Elizabeth II, whether she was cheering on her horse at Ascot or watching a tug of war at the Highland Games.

"Prince Philip was a world champion four-in-hand carriage driver and Princess Anne competed in equestrian events at the Olympics. And King Charles was such a passionate polo player he suffered countless injuries in the process.

"But the royals look like pikers compared to the Middletons, who taught Kate that winning was pretty much everything," Andersen continued. "William and Kate's card games are so heated and all-consuming that William makes excuses to avoid being sucked in. But away from his win-at-all-costs Middleton in-laws, William has never shied away from going up against Kate in a contest," he told Fox News Digital.

His comments echo those made by Kate's younger brother James Middleton during an appearance on The Dog podcast. "The Middletons are quite competitive and they love a game, don't they? And then you made poor William play, and he found it too competitive and actually used to make excuses," host Emily Dean noted.

James replied: "It was after family dinner, we would be sat there and the cards would come out, and [he would] perhaps see if Ella needed a walk or make an excuse to get down from the table. Racing demon is probably the most fast-paced, competitive one that we all play together."

James's beloved dog Ella passed away in January 2023 and his new book, 'Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life', is focused on their bond. In James's opinion, Ella was the perfect "excuse" for Prince William to escape playing cards and the royal actually looked forward to losing so he could go and "cuddle" her.

"Ella gives [William] a good excuse to escape the fiercely competitive nature of the Middleton family, which emerges every time we play our favourite fast-paced card game, racing demon," James wrote. "William flinches at our ruthless determination to win at all costs. He's delighted to be the first out, and when no longer compelled to take part, he slinks off to cuddle Ella.

"I think he'd prefer to absent himself from the game entirely. 'James, does Ella need a walk?’ he asks before we've even started dealing the cards," the Princess of Wales's younger brother added. "My sisters and I exchange a knowing glance: William, for all the competitive rigour of his military training, is happy to be a loser at cards."