A sweet story about Kate Middleton approaching a boy she thought was lost is going viral

"The Duchess had no idea she was chatting to the son of a journalist so I take this to reflect her character and sense of duty. The monarchy is in consummate hands."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"The Duchess had no idea she was chatting to the son of a journalist so I take this to reflect her character and sense of duty. The monarchy is in consummate hands."

Kate Middleton is one of the most talked-about women in the world, with her fashion influence turning small businesses into sell-out brands and her hairstyle changes sparking trends of their own.

And this past few years, we've only seen more of the Duchess, with her role elevated due to her popularity, professionalism and relatability.

This was on full-show this past week as the Duchess joined her husband and Princess Charlotte to watch the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Prince William flew Princess Charlotte by helicopter, but ever the relatable Kate Middleton took the train.

It was on this journey that Kate approached a young boy mistaking him for being lost. And since being shared by his father - Times columnist Matthew Syed, the story has unsurprisingly gone viral.

In his column for The Times, Syed opened up about the experience, recalling how he and his son Ted were on the same train as the Duchess. While he used the bathroom, his son waited outside for him and was approached by a "really nice" woman, now known to be Kate Middleton.

"As I am doing my thing, I hear him talking to a woman in the vestibule. 'Are you here alone?' she asks. 'No, my dad is in there' – he says, pointing to the lavatory", Matthew Syed recalled in his column.

He described hearing them have a "whale of a time" and laughing together, but when he exited the toilet to thank the kind stranger, he realised it was the Duchess of Cambridge.

"'Did you realise who that was, son?' I ask him. 'No idea but she was really nice,' he responds."

Syed signed off his column by praising Kate Middleton's character.

"The Duchess had no idea she was chatting to the son of a journalist," he wrote. "So I take this to reflect her character and sense of duty. The monarchy is in consummate hands."

Well, this is lovely.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.