Kate Middleton, a name that not only holds utmost grace and class but also immense popularity. The 43-year-old has successfully established her reputation as one of the most modern yet sophisticated princesses in the history of the British monarchy.
She has not only fulfilled her royal duties diligently but also aced her role as a wife to Prince William and a mother to her three munchkins, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte.
Despite going through a significantly rough most of 2024 after King Charles’s cancer diagnosis in February, followed by her diagnosis right before the obnoxious backlash she faced as she shared a family portrait that had been Photoshopped, Middleton has handled every hurdle like a warrior.
Now that her cancer is in remission and she stands in line of succession as the next Queen of England, royal author Edward White, in his new book Dianaworld: An Obsession, drew a detailed comparison between Kate and the late Princess Diana‘s life in the spotlight.
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As per Fox News, Edward White claimed that Kate Middleton’s poised and mature nature is rooted in her decision to adhere to royal protocols rather than challenge them. Unlike Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Middleton’s global popularity and love are the result of her careful choices. From her modest yet stylish dressing sense to her calm and sweet public representation, she has clearly followed in the footsteps of her mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
Unlike Diana, who was just 19 when she became engaged to a much older Prince Charles, Kate married Prince William at 29. The duo met at the University of St Andrews. They started as friends, became housemates, and later fell in love. Despite several hurdles, the couple decided to take on the royal responsibilities and give themselves time to adapt to their new roles.
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Author Edward White told Fox News Digital. “Her maturity was intentional — both she and William understood the weight of royal life and chose to wait.” In addition, White compared Princess Diana’s life to that of a pop star’s. He said that her life was filled with paparazzi scrutiny, and she faced the downside of what comes with royal fame.
“She didn’t truly know who she was before the world made her famous,” he said. “That fame became her identity for a long time,” he added. While Kate was subjected to media attention slowly and steadily, the late Princess Diana was rushed into it.
Even though Diana rose to popularity with her philanthropy, love, and warmth for kids, holding hands with an AIDS patient, she refined the royal duties and humanized the crown.
Behind closed doors, Princess Diana was struggling with her mental and emotional well-being, constantly battling between the desperate paparazzi covering her every step and watching her marriage to the love of her life, King Charles, crumble in front of her eyes. In her infamous encounter with BBC broadcaster Martin Bashir. Princess Diana’s interview from 1995 is still one of the hot topics, with people constantly adding new theories to it.
“There were three of us in this marriage,” Diana admitted in the interview at that time, which caused intense scrutiny as more than 23 million people watched it. In contrast, Prince William also acted as a big pillar of support for Kate Middleton. However, Princess Diana and Charles were mostly at odds as a couple, with Diana being a rebel to defend herself.
Broadcaster Helena Chard added that Kate’s strong support system — from both the palace and her close-knit family — is something Diana never had. Diana felt trapped by royal bureaucracy, yet even though she tried to fight back, it was too late to save her marriage, as Charles refused to let Camilla Parker Bowles go. Things turned even worse after Diana and Charles parted ways in 1996.
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Meanwhile, Kate Middleton has come a long way with her resilience, strength, and utmost dignity. Her united front with William, a cordial relationship with the royal family, and guidance from the late Queen Elizabeth II have shaped her into a woman who seems ready to take on the throne and handle it with precision.
While Diana died in a tragic car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997, at 36, after a prolonged struggle to grasp her reality while battling the media, deep agony, and loneliness, she left an unsaid void in the royal family; her legacy lives on even today. Lastly, all royal experts agree that if Diana were alive today, she would be proud of her daughter-in-law Kate.
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Not only did she break several traditional protocols, which include raising children in a modern way, but she also held her head high during the tumultuous events in the family. “She had a special sparkle, a deep love for her children, and a bond with people,” said Helena Chard. “That same spark lives on in Princess Catherine.”
