Royal Expert Explains Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Public Appeal: ‘They’re Drawn to Them’
One former royal butler said Prince William and Kate Middleton have an appeal that makes the public more “drawn to them” than other, more senior royals. And he thinks the couple’s modern approach to royal duties could eventually save the monarchy. Read on to find out why.
The public likes Prince William and Kate Middleton more than other royals
King Charles III is awaiting coronation, and William and Kate are now the Prince and Princess of Wales. This means they are one step closer to becoming king and queen consort. And some polls show they’re a bit more popular than Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.
For example, a 2022 YouGov poll showed Queen Elizabeth was the most liked royal before she died, with 75 percent favorability. Next is Kate with 68 percent, followed by William with 66 percent. Meanwhile, Charles polled at 42 percent, and Camilla trailed behind him at 40 percent.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have public appeal because they ‘show more of their personalities,’ former royal butler says
Some experts have guessed that William and Kate are favored because they’re easier to relate to. For instance, former royal butler Grant Harrold told Slingo, “Prince Charles is from a different generation so he might be seen as old-fashioned. While he is old-fashioned, he’s also quite modern, but William and Kate show more of their personalities, so people like them more. They’re drawn to them more.”
“William was a pin-up at one point, and Kate is a beautiful lady,” he went on. “People all want to be Kate, dress like her, and look like her. They are very much role models, and I think that’s why they’re doing so well.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s public appeal could save the monarchy
Harrold predicted William and Kate are the change the monarchy needs to keep going because a purely traditional approach won’t cut it. He declared, “It has to modernise [sic],” and offered, “the royals have to be like you and me.”
“I’m aware that there’s a real love-hate relationship when it comes to the future of the monarchy,” he noted, but also said, “Obviously everyone loves William and Kate …”
However, he said they couldn’t completely turn their backs on the customary parts of their roles. They also must show they can “keep tradition too, if not for tourism,” he said.
He noted William and Kate have already created an advantage for their future. “… Because we know the real them, they’re down-to-earth and approachable, when we see the more traditional side, we love that,” he explained.
“William will be a very modernistic monarch, almost celebrity-like as that’s the way it seems to be becoming,” Harrold predicted. “But he’ll still have elements of the old tradition and etiquette, and that’ll be thanks to his father and his grandmother.”
