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Why Princess Kate’s Tender Moment With a Baby Girl in Italy Could Have William ‘Worried’

During her visit to Reggio Emilia, Kate Middleton crouched down to play with a toddler, an interaction that could make Prince William a little nervous.

Kate Middleton greets a baby on the first day of her visit to Reggio Emilia; (Inset) Prince William attends the launch of the Global Humanitarian Memorial. Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Phil Noble/Pool; (Inset) Chris Jackson
Kate Middleton greets a baby on the first day of her visit to Reggio Emilia; (Inset) Prince William attends the launch of the Global Humanitarian Memorial. Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Phil Noble/Pool; (Inset) Chris Jackson

Affectionately known as the 'Children's Princess,' Kate Middleton is admired for her warmth and natural ease with the little ones. Her visit to Reggio Emilia in Italy on May 13 was no different, as she was delighted to meet her 3-month-old well-wisher, Elena. Reminiscent of her late mother-in-law, she lit up before crouching down to interact playfully with the toddler and her mother. However, this might have Prince William a little worried. Middleton has previously revealed William's nervousness about meeting babies and feeling broody.

Kate Middleton greets a baby on the first day of her visit to Reggio Emilia. (Image Source: Getty Images| Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Kate Middleton greets a baby on the first day of her visit to Reggio Emilia. (Image Source: Getty Images | Samir Hussein/WireImage)

During her stop at Reggio Emilia, the Princess of Wales met local well-wishers, including families and young children, as part of her wider focus on early childhood development. It was at this meetup that she spotted baby Elena being held near the railings by her mother. In footage shared on X, she can be seen noticing the toddler and flashing a wide gasp before crouching down to the child's eye level, smiling at her, and interacting with her mother. Moreover, she also posed for selfies, accepted flowers, and bent down to talk to children, even attempting to speak in Italian. Watch the video here!

Kate Middleton talking to little kids on the first day of her Italy tour (Image Source: Getty Images I Phil Noble - Pool)
Kate Middleton is talking to little children on the first day of her Italian tour. (Image Source: Getty Images | Phil Noble/Pool)

Middleton's adorable interaction with the child had royal watchers instantly recalling some of her past moments. While she has clarified that she and William are not planning on having more children, she revealed that she often feels the need to give her three children another sibling whenever she meets babies. As reported by PEOPLE, in 2022, on the first day of her Denmark tour, she met with parents and their children during a visit to the University of Copenhagen. There, she said, "it makes me very broody. William always worries about me meeting under one-year-olds. I come home saying, 'Let's have another one.'"

Prince William plays with a baby during his visit to the HSBC Rain Vortex.
Prince William plays with a baby during his visit to the HSBC Rain Vortex. (Image Source: Getty Images | Chris Jackson)

Likewise, William has also joked about his nervousness around his wife during the couple's visit to Leicester in 2022. While taking photos with the families, the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met Trudi and Alastair Barrie's daughter, Anastasia. Middleton held the baby girl as they posed for a photo, causing onlookers to coo and prompting William to joke, "Don't give my wife any more ideas!" After Middleton handed the baby back to her parents, he quipped, "Don't take her with you."

While the Princess may occasionally feel broody, she has stressed that her husband is not keen on expanding their family of five. During a February 2019 visit to Northern Ireland, a baby's father asked her, "Baby number four?" Middleton replied with a laugh, "I think William would be a little worried." She echoed the same in January 2020, when a fan told her that he had sent cards congratulating her after the birth of each of her children. She quipped, "I don't think William wants any more." Her jewelry choices also reflect that her family is complete, as she wears necklaces featuring her three children's initials.

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