Princess Kate 'struggling to cope' with one major royal duty

Kate Middleton is still finding it difficult to carry out her royal duties. 

For the Princess of Wales, attending crowded receptions is "really hard" due to her naturally soft voice. She does not have an ability to project her voice across a packed room.

"Catherine can appear completely at ease when people see photographs from these enormous receptions, but the reality is that they can be surprisingly demanding. There may be hundreds of conversations happening simultaneously, people are constantly moving around, and everyone understandably wants their opportunity to speak to her," a senior royal expert told RadarOnline.com.

The source further said, "Catherine isn't somebody who naturally projects her voice across a crowded room, so being heard above all that noise can genuinely be challenging."

"She takes conversations extremely seriously and doesn't like making somebody feel they have simply been processed as part of an engagement. That can make these events harder because Catherine's instinct is to stop, listen properly, and give people her full attention rather than exchange a few words and immediately move along," the confidant continued.

"It's become something of a running joke because she is regularly encouraged to speak louder and occasionally spends considerably longer talking to guests than the schedule allows. Those around her have become accustomed to seeing the timetable slipping because Catherine has become absorbed in somebody's story," a tipster added. 

"She has had training in public appearances and how to deal with them, but despite her apparent growing confidence she still prefers to be quiet rather than loud."

Prince Kate herself acknowledged this difficulty last year while speaking with women attending a reception at Buckingham Palace.

"I find these environments are really hard. I've also got a very soft voice, so I always get told 'Speak up a bit louder!'" the princess said at that time.