Prince William "Makes Excuses" to Avoid Kate Middleton's Family for This Relatable Reason

The royal loves his in-laws, with one major exception.

Prince William loves and adores Kate Middleton and his in-laws, but visiting them—especially as the holiday season quickly approaches—can often make him feel uncomfortable for a very understandable reason. The Middletons, according to royal author Christopher Andersen, are really intense.

While William is on good terms with everyone, the family game nights often have a habit of getting very competitive—despite the royals having a healthy competitive streak of their own. "Competition runs in the royal blood," Andersen said during an October appearance on the "Walking the Dog" podcast (via Fox News). "No one enjoyed a spirited contest more than the late Queen Elizabeth II, whether she was cheering on her horse at Ascot or watching a tug of war at the Highland Games."

He added, "Prince Philip was a world champion four-in-hand carriage driver, and Princess Anne competed in equestrian events at the Olympics. And King Charles was such a passionate polo player he suffered countless injuries in the process." The Middletons, however, take being competitive to another level. "The royals look like pikers compared to the Middletons, who taught Kate that winning was pretty much everything," Andersen added.

As a result, William tries getting out of Middleton family game nights, no matter the cost. "William and Kate's card games are so heated and all-consuming that William makes excuses to avoid being sucked in," Andersen said during the podcast. "But away from his win-at-all-costs Middleton in-laws, William has never shied away from going up against Kate in a contest."

The Middleton competitive gene has also been passed down to Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, too. The royal photographer also revealed that "the Prince and Princess of Wales have always been competitive about pretty much everything—foot races, swimming races, board games, card games, you name it."

He continued: "Now, this trait has been passed on to George, Charlotte, and Louis—all of whom have been taught to give it their all. Unfortunately, this often leads to heated arguments about cheating and breaking the rules, which, in turn, leads to the occasional game board being tossed and pieces sent flying."