Kate Middleton Doesn’t ‘Seek to Emulate’ Princess Diana, Is a ‘Very Different Woman’
According to one royal family expert, Kate Middleton is “very different” from Princess Diana. Despite continuing Diana’s legacy of kindness, and some tributes to her in her fashion choices, Kate isn’t trying to follow the same path as her late mother-in-law, that expert said.
Read on to learn why one royal correspondent thinks the two aren’t as similar as some say. Plus, how they feel Kate pays a “respectful” tribute to Diana.
Kate Middleton said Princess Diana is an inspiration and someone to ‘look up to’
After becoming engaged to Prince William, Kate was asked by journalist Tom Bradby if she thought about how she was joining the family of a “massive iconic figure” like Diana (per the Mirror). “The most famous figure of our age, is that worrying? Is that intimidating? Do you think about that a lot both of you, you particularly Kate, obviously?” Bradby asked.
Kate said, “Obviously I would have loved to have met her and she’s obviously an inspirational woman to look up to.”
William also had something to offer in response to the questions. “There’s no pressure, though,” he offered. “There’s no pressure. Like Kate said, it is about carving your own future.”
He added, “No one is going to try to fill my mother’s shoes, what she did was fantastic. It’s about making your own future and your own destiny and Kate will do a very good job of that.”
Body language expert Darren Stanton pointed out there are some obvious similarities between Diana and Kate. For example, in how they approach their royal duties.
“We often see Kate getting stuck in during her royal appearances and she has no qualms when it comes to engaging and interacting with others from everyday walks of lives, much like Diana did,” Stanton said (per Marie Claire).
Royal expert said Kate Middleton is a ‘very different woman’ from Princess Diana
Royal correspondent, Katie Nicholl, told 9Honey that Kate is not trying to use Diana’s “almost unmatchable legacy” as a blueprint (per the Express). “I think one of the great strengths of Kate, and one of her real successes, is that she hasn’t followed in Diana’s footsteps,” she explained, adding, “I don’t think she seeks to emulate Diana.”
She said, “I think she was so aware of the comparison right from the outset, but despite the weight of that engagement ring on her finger, and the significance that that holds and the comparisons it inevitably draws, she is actually a very different woman.”
According to Nicholl, Kate wouldn’t be such a beloved royal if she was trying to be anyone other than herself. “Her success has been in carving her own identity in the royal family as the Duchess of Cambridge and making that role herself,” she offered.
Kate Middleton gives ‘respectful nods’ to Princess Diana
Nicholl acknowledged how Middleton chose dresses that were “very Diana” following the births of her sons. “After the birth of George when she wore that blue and white dress, after Louis’s birth, she was in the red,” she noted.
But, according to Nicholl, Kate does similar things as her late mother-in-law did from time to time without outright imitating her. “Really, it’s a respectful nod and an acknowledgment of the continuation of history,” she concluded.
