Because reading into the British royal family is both a favorite pastime and an occupation of mine, I am thinking way too hard about a newly revealed, alleged interaction between Rami Malek and Kate Middleton. While promoting his role as the villain in the new James Bond movie, No Time to Die, on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday night, Malek—who shared air with a glittering Middleton at the recent world premiere in London—recalled an earlier, possibly awkward conversation with the Duchess of Cambridge at the 2019 BAFTAs (the British equivalent of the Academy Awards).
The ceremony was held in February 2019, a few months after Middleton returned from a roughly six-month maternity leave after giving birth to her third child, Prince Louis, in April 2018. Kate arrived in a one-shoulder, white Alexander McQueen gown with Prince William, who is the president of BAFTA; Malek, who was a best-actor nominee for Bohemian Rhapsody, noted how thoroughly prepared the royal couple seemed, armed with exhaustive knowledge of the films and performances.
“I just looked at Princess Kate at one point, and I said, ‘This must be exhausting,’ and she said, ‘Why?’ And I said, ‘You just had a baby, right?’” Malek recalled. According to the actor—and it should be noted that he is offering but one side of the conversation—Kate “was taken aback” and attempted to shift the focus back to Malek, who wasn’t having it. “She said, ‘How are you doing?’ And I said, ‘No, how are you?’”
Kate, Malek claimed, gave him a knowing look—“in the most regal, professional, royal way” that he interpreted as: “Yes, it’s a lot having a kid.” Malek continued: “They’re so careful, but it was so cool because I think I caught her off-guard for a second.”
Sure, this is a one-sided recollection of a two-year-old interaction at an awards show, but I can’t help but be a bit affected by it. As the wife of the heir to the throne, Middleton rarely has the chance to open up about her inner life. Who knows how many people—if any—had broken from formality and spoken frankly to her on that or any other night to ask how a new mom post-maternity leave (one with both unique privileges and challenges) was really doing?
“How are you?” is a simple question, but it can be a loaded one, especially for royal women—especially after having a baby under intense media scrutiny. It was a question that proved ostensibly moving for Meghan Markle in her landmark 2019 interview in Africa, five months after giving birth to her son, Archie. When ITV’s Tom Bradby asked about her mental and physical health in the face of scathing media coverage, Meghan appeared emotional. “Thank you for asking,” she said. “Not many people have asked if I’m okay.”
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