Is Kate Middleton the Most Famous Woman In the World? Here’s what the ‘Kate Effect’ Is All About
Kate Middleton is the definition of a household name. Even those who don’t follow the royals’ lives know who she is. Kate is royally known as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and she’s married to Prince William, who is Queen Elizabeth’s grandson. But one designer claims that nobody has an effect on the market the way Kate does, and everyone constantly wants to emulate what Kate does and how she dresses. It’s been dubbed the “Kate Effect” — and it suggests she could be the most famous woman in the world.
![Kate Middleton](https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Kate-Middleton-13.jpg?strip=all&quality=89)
Kate married William back in 2011 — and the public adores her
Kate and Will first met back in 2001 at the University of St. Andrews, but they didn’t start a relationship right away. It wasn’t until 2003 that the couple started dating; in 2004, they officially went public with their romance. Rumor has it Will saw Kate walking in a fashion show for school, and that’s what made him realize he wanted more than a friendship. The couple briefly broke up in 2004 and again in 2007, but they finally tied the knot in 2011. Ever since, Kate has arguably been more famous than her future-king husband. The public adores her, and that hasn’t changed in the eight years the two have been married. Now, people love seeing Kate be a mother to her three young children, and she’s only gained popularity through the years.
The ‘Kate effect’ has been in full swing ever since the duke and duchess married
When Kate and Will got married, people began to emulate the duchess in regards to how she dressed. The fashion market would fluctuate depending on what Kate deemed popular and which designer clothes she stepped out in. If Kate wore a new designer, suddenly, that designer’s sales would increase. If the duchess deemed a type of necklace or earring to be “in style” (meaning she wore it to an event), it would suddenly boost global sales. Her daughter has made an impact, too. When Princess Charlotte was born, sales in baby clothes climbed, depending on what she was wearing. It fittingly became known as the “Charlotte effect.”
One designer says no one in the world has an impact on the market the way Kate does
One designer said that Kate drives more business to her designs than any paid influencers. (Influencers are those with large social media followings who are paid to push products to their fans.) According to People, jewelry designer Annoushka Ducas recently said that nobody controls the fashion industry the way Kate Middleton does and that the duchess has more of an impact on sales than any influencers ever have. “She is her own brand, and she is internationally well known and that drives traffic from all over the world.”
She’s been ranked as one of the world’s most influential people
In the past, Kate has been ranked on Time’s list of the world’s most influential people, alongside the likes of Michelle Obama and Beyoncé. She’s one of the world’s most respected women, and she’s the type of person who doesn’t draw a specific fan base. Meaning, Kate doesn’t involve herself in politics or only write romance novels or have a particular niche of any sort, which makes her likable to almost everyone in the world. The only thing Kate single-handedly influences is fashion, since that’s the first thing people notice about her when she makes a public appearance. And her outfit choices have affected the fashion industry on a global scale.
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