When a child speaks their first word, it's an exciting moment. Usually, it's "mama" or "dada." But every once in a while, they may spout something that'll absolutely surprise you. Children are like sponges, so if you talk about something a lot, they'll probably catch on. And Kate Middleton happens to talk a lot about cooking.
The Duchess of Cambridge has always been a fan of cooking, and she even takes care of most of the meals for her family. It may seem a little ridiculous at first, but her background plays a big part.
"You have to remember that she’s not royal. She comes from a normal background and a normal home where she’s always cooked for herself," former Kensington Palace chef Carolyn Robb told Racked back in 2015. That means that her children are probably quite familiar with the kitchen as well. If anyone in the royal family were to teach basic skills to their children, it'd probably be Kate Middleton.
Kate currently has three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Born on April 23, 2018, Louis is just a year and a half old. That means that now's the time when words are going to come out at a fast pace.
It's incredible how quickly words and sentences come out. And since Louis has the benefit of having two older siblings, it may be a little easier for him to start enunciating. In a holiday special that Kate filmed with husband Prince William and British cook Mary Berry, she revealed that "Mary" was one of Louis' first words.
"One of Louis’ first words was ‘Mary’, because right at his height are all my cooking books in the kitchen bookshelf," Kate said, according to People. "Children are really fascinated by faces, and your faces are all over your cooking books and he would say ‘That’s Mary Berry’ … so he would definitely recognize you if he saw you today," she noted, talking directly to Mary.
It must be quite an honor for Mary to have such recognition. So who is Mary Berry? The 84-year-old cook is best known for publishing more than 75 cookbooks (most of which Kate probably has) and for hosting multiple food-related shows and programs on the BBC. She's a notable talent in England, even appearing as a judge on The Great British Bake Off.
Her first cookbook was called The Hamlyn All Colour Cook Book, and it was published in the 1970s. In 1994, she started her own line of dressings and sauces along with her daughter, which are still available for purchase today. She had her own show in 2014 called Mary Berry Cooks. It's fun to think that Kate was tuning in for every episode.
The special is called A Berry Royal Christmas and will be airing on December 16. Kate wasn't afraid to get personal and nostalgic with Mary. After Mary whipped up a nonalcoholic holiday beverage, Kate admitted that she used to serve drinks to people as a waitress back in her university days.
After Mary asked her if she was good at the job, Kate replies, "No, I was terrible!" Prince William would likely concur, as the two of them knew each other throughout their time at the University of St. Andrews. Hopefully, he thought her bad waitressing was endearing. This is just a reminder that even Kate Middleton has flaws.
Louis saying "Mary" as one of his first words is especially sweet, since it means he's paying attention to one of his mom's most fruitful hobbies. It's unclear what Princess Charlotte's and Prince George's first words were, but surely they were also pretty cute. Charlotte did make news in 2016 after she spoke her first public word on camera, which was "Pop!"
She wasn't talking about Prince William — she was actually referring to an archway of balloons. Charlotte was just 16 months old at the time and attending a public engagement at a petting zoo in Victoria, Canada. She saw the balloon arch, hugged one, and made the crowd giddy after saying, "Pop!"
Years ago, Prince William reportedly made a joke about Prince George's first word. When they were merely a family of three, William, George, and Kate went to Australia, and William made a speech about his time there, stating, "I suspect George's first word might be 'Bilby' – only because 'Koala' is harder to say. We really look forward to our time here together as a family.’"
Never heard of a bilby before? That's probably because the long-eared marsupial is native to Australia. If you ever needed an excuse to visit, add it to your list. Unfortunately, the species is endangered, and there's estimated to be only around 600 left, so you'll want to book that travel sooner rather than later.
It's unclear if Kate and William's kids will be part of the holiday special. But Mary Berry is reason enough to tune in. The special was initially announced in November, with Food & Wine saying that the purpose of the special is for Kate and Mary to cook a feast for the charity workers who'll be busy helping others during the holiday.
Mary learned a lot about the royal couple during her time filming. For one, she squashed any sort of rumors of a falling out, saying, "It was just lovely observing them for those three days. When they are together, he’s constantly touching her arm and looking over at her smiling and she’s the same with him."
Mary continued with the praise, saying that it's obvious how proud William is of Kate, referring to her by her full name of Catherine. "He was keen to stress to me how none of his mental health charities would be what they were without Catherine, who puts so much time, effort and care into making sure everything works well," Mary said. That's true love.
If you want to watch the special, it'll be airing on December 16 on BBC One. If it's your first exposure to Mary Berry, you're in luck — there's still plenty of time to put her multiple cookbooks on your holiday wish list. It's definitely a good way to ensure you're cooking like Kate Middleton.
