Kate Middleton May Be the New Princess of Wales, But She Will Not Be Diana 2.0
Kate Middleton is now officially the Princess of Wales after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. As the wife of the heir, Prince William, she received the new title from King Charles III when he bestowed the Prince of Wales title on his oldest son. Kate is the first royal to publicly use the Princess of Wales title since Princess Diana. But that doesn’t mean she’s Diana 2.0.
Before Kate Middleton, Diana was the ‘People’s Princess’
After Princess Diana’s tragic death in 1997, former Prime Minister Tony Blair paid tribute to her and dubbed her “the People’s Princess” because she was so relatable and approachable. After the death of the queen — when William and Kate visited Sandringham to look at the floral tributes to Her Majesty — royal fans on social media started calling Kate “the People’s Princess.”
It wasn’t because she was as approachable as Diana was, though. Fans gave Kate the moniker because of her class, elegance, beauty, and devotion to her royal duty. Still, the comparisons between her and her late mother-in-law are everywhere.
“Diana had an extraordinary connection with everybody. People felt a kinship with her,” Tony Blair’s former adviser Anji Hunter told CNN. She also modernized the British monarchy and set a precedent for other senior royals when it comes to mingling with the public.”
She is the new Princess of Wales, but not Diana 2.0
There are many similarities between Kate and Diana. They are both major royal fashion influencers, and Kate now wears Diana’s famous engagement ring. She even wore a pearl choker that Diana once wore to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. But royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams says that Kate isn’t a modernized version of the “People’s Princess” from the 1980s.
“Diana and Catherine are completely different personalities,” Fitzwilliams told Marca. “[Plus,] Catherine has had over a decade to successfully make her own identity as a hardworking royal. She is beloved because she stayed true to herself.”
As Princess of Wales, Kate’s main duty is to support the sovereign in ensuring the stability and continuity of the British monarchy. And according to the Prince of Wales’ official website, that includes “bringing people together across all sections of society.”
Kate must attend a lot of state dinners and royal functions with the goal of representing the British monarchy in the best way possible. She will also support her husband when the couple represents the Head of State on trips across the United Kingdom and overseas.
How will Kate Middleton make her mark as Princess of Wales?
Princess Diana instantly became the Princess of Wales when she married then-Prince Charles in 1981 at the age of 20. She had zero royal experience when she shot to worldwide fame and became the president or patron of more than 100 charities. She made her mark by advocating for HIV patients, the homeless, and against landmines. Diana was also considered a royal rebel, who would challenge and break protocol.
Kate has been able to win hearts just like Diana, but she does it in a very different way. She connects with people over everything from parenthood and early childhood education issues to photography. But unlike Diana, Kate is much closer to “the Firm” and loyal to the royal family.
“Catherine is deeply loyal in the way she handles all her affairs, including in regard to her family and the institution,” Fitzwilliams says.
Diana publicly criticized the royal family, but that isn’t going to happen with Kate. Instead of being like Diana, royal expert Ingrid Seward says that a better comparison is to a young Princess Elizabeth.
“Kate has always known her destiny and is ready for it now—unlike Diana, who shied away from it and never wanted it. She has understood her role from the beginning and made it her ambition to do it properly,” Seward said, per Reader’s Digest.
The Princess of Wales has not yet talked about her new role publicly. However, the British press has reported that she wants to “appreciate the history” while looking to the future and creating her own path.
