The big question is, will Kate Middleton become the Princess of Wales when Charles goes to the throne? A title that will be hers by right. Will she be able to wear the title as Princess Diana did?
The Early Kate
Kate Middleton was a part of an exclusive, wealthy social group known as the ‘Glossy Posse’, before she met William, second in line to the British throne.
However, life wasn’t easy for Kate Middleton. William and Kate had been dating for five years, when William got cold feet. In 2006 Kate received a phone call from William, breaking off their relationship.
Kate Middleton’s Time Alone
Kate says the time apart made her a stronger person. “I really value the time apart, although I didn’t think that at the time.” They were still in touch, and it only took William two months to realize how much he missed Kate.
They planned William should finish military training before the wedding. She advised him to ‘let off steam’ ahead of the marriage. The engagement was announced in 2010, when William presented Kate with his mother’s engagement ring.
Following her marriage, the Duchess of Cambridge assumed royal duties and commitments to support the Queen. Kate works for a variety of charities, just as Princess Diana did before her.
Diana the Role Model
Unlike Diana, Kate was schooled in every aspect of public life. Kate never met her famous mother-in-law, but she watched videos of Diana. The public appreciate that Kate has taken Diana, the People’s Princess, as a role model and is not trying to compete with the memory of Diana.
Kate confesses to being shy and introverted, preferring a quiet life. She says she wasn’t born to be a public figure. However, she is the star and centre of a world stage. Like Diana, she has a wonderful sense of humour.
Kate has stood in for Queen Elizabeth several times since the monarch fell ill last fall. This included taking center place on the balcony on Remembrance Day.
Kate may find it difficult to mingle with world leaders, but she always appears to fulfil the role with panache. The Duchess of Cambridge scored a 93% rating for fame and 68% rating for popularity. That is just seven percent less than the Brand and National Treasure, Queen Elizabeth II, whose popularity stands at 75%.
Kate Middleton Follows the Princess of Wales
Kate Middleton has shown that her choice of clothing is as important, just as the Princess of Wales did before her.
In February 2011, the Global Language Monitor named the Duchess of Cambridge the Top Fashion buzzword of the 2011 season. In 2018, Brand Finance’s research cited the Duchess as the “Most Powerful Royal Fashion Influencer”. They said that pieces in her wardrobe increase desirability among 38% of American shoppers.
Just as there was a ‘Diana Effect‘ that changed the world, so too, there is a ‘Kate Middleton effect.’ It is the trend that the Duchess is reported to have in sales of particular products and brands. In 2021, it was reported that Catherine boosted the British fashion industry up to £1 billion within a year. A dressing gown worn by her son, George, when photographed with President Obama, sold out in hours.
Clothing Choice Influenced by her Role Model
Kate’s choice of clothing is influenced by the style and fashion choices of Diana, Princess of Wales. Kate has worn many outfits that resemble clothing Diana wore, either in style or colour.
The Duchess of Cambridge paid a tribute to Diana, the Princess of Wales, by wearing a blue and white polka dot dress. It was the same pattern and colouring Diana wore when Prince Harry was introduced to the world.
Catherine has developed a ‘caring wardrobe’ similar to that of her mother-in-law. Both women favoured reasonably priced clothing with colourful fabrics, skirt suits, and bright hues suitable for the occasion. Like Diana, Kate has a natural grace and poise and wears clothes that suit her body shape.
Duchess Allergic to Horses
In a family where horses play a huge role, Kate has a problem. She says, “I’m actually allergic to horses, but the more time one spends with them the less allergic you become.” Exposing yourself to the allergens from horses works in the same way as immunotherapy.
The National Health Service describes it as “being given occasional small doses of the allergen” with the aim “to help your body get used to the allergen so it does not react to it so severely”. “This will not cure the allergy, but it’ll make it milder and mean you can take less medicine,” says the NHS.
Kate Middleton Amateur Photographer
The Duchess calls herself an ‘enthusiastic amateur photographer’ and has taken official portraits of her children, as well as other members of the royal family. Photographs that look extremely professional.
Kate works at trying to keep the balance between the demands of her official duties and providing a happy home and safe environment for her children. William and Kate have moved into Adelaide Cottage, in the grounds of 13-acre Windsor Castle. The Windsor Crown estate comprises approximately 5,000 acres.
The Cambridges will keep their home and offices at Kensington Palace, as well as their country home of Anmer Hall in Norfolk. Living at Windsor means that Kate and William are more accessible to the Queen.
Princess of Wale’s Favourite Tiara
The Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara was one of Diana’s most iconic pieces and has an amazing royal history. The tiara is now a favourite of Kate. It is a replica of an earlier tiara.
The piece of jewellery Kate wears, was created for Queen Mary in 1914 by the House of Garrard, from pearls and diamonds already owned by her family. Mary modelled the tiara after her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse’s, headpiece. The original Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara is currently thought to be held in an unknown private collection.
According to the Court Jeweller, when Queen Mary commissioned the piece, she “Sacrificed a tiara from her own jewellery collection, the Ladies of England Tiara.”
On Loan
After Queen Mary died in 1953, the tiara was passed down to her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen wore the tiara several times in the ’50s. In 1981, the Queen loaned the Lover’s Knot Tiara to Princess Diana as a wedding gift.
Diana opted instead to wear the Spencer Tiara, a family heirloom, on her big day. However, the Lover’s Knot became one of her favourite pieces, despite being so heavy that it hurt her head.
As part of the divorce settlement, Diana was allowed to keep her jewellery, but as the tiara was on loan from the Queen, it was given back.
After Diana’s death in 1997, the tiara wasn’t seen publicly until 2015, when it created quite a stir. The Duchess of Cambridge wore it to a reception at Buckingham Palace. Kate has since worn it at least four other times.
Kate Middleton as Princess of Wales
Technically, the title Princess of Wales should have passed to Camilla Parker Bowles upon her marriage to Charles. She turned it down out of respect to the memory of Diana. It is doubtful that British subjects would have accepted Camilla as Princes Wales, considering the history between Camilla and Charles, while Charles was still married to the People’s Princess. Did that show that Camilla had a conscience, or was she pandering to the public?
When Charles ascends the throne, the title Prince of Wales automatically passes to William. Kate could become Princess of Wales, as an honour to William’s mother. Kate is being groomed to one day wear the crown as Queen Catherine of Great Britain. An awe-inspiring position for anyone to take on, but the Duchess of Cambridge seems to be up to it.
Postscript: King Charles III did ascend the throne, in what now is the monarchy’s survival in a deadly chess game. There is no doubt, but that Princess of Wales, the glamorous Kate, will pay a major role in that chess game, which will prove the real value of womanhood. We all have a voice that reaches far beyond our sphere of influence. It’s up to us how others hear that voice.
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