Direct, simple, relatable: These are some of the qualities that make Catherine, Princess of Wales, the most popular member of the British royal family. But she’s also breaking new ground…
By Nichole Marie
The full force of the public’s love for the Princess of Wales was felt recently when the 42-year-old Kate shared a major update on her cancer journey. Revealing that she feels “relief” after completing her chemotherapy treatment, her announcement was greeted with joy, even jubilation, by her many, many well-wishers across the globe. She spoke, in her video, of how her focus is now on “doing what I can to stay cancer-free,” and that despite finishing chemo, her “path to healing and full recovery” remains “long.” “I must continue to take each day as it comes,” she said, adding, “I am, however, looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can. Despite all that’s gone before, I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life.”
That said, there was also a tsunami of surprises in the incredibly personal video, which showed the Princess with her husband, Prince William, and their children, like never before, walking through the woods, having a picnic, and playing cards. Dubbed “astonishing” in its intimacy, it marked a stark departure from the stiff formality of traditional royal public relations.
‘The Times’ compared the video, shot by filmmaker Will Warr in the Norfolk countryside of eastern England where the family has a home, to “a Hollywood trailer for the Instagram generation.” It rated the video as “the most intimate portrayal of the royal family since (Queen Elizabeth II) invited a fly-on-the-wall documentary crew into her home in 1969.” ‘The Sun’s’ veteran photographer Arthur Edwards maintained, “In 40 years of covering the royal family, I have never seen anything like Catherine’s video. It’s a first for the royals.” PR consultant Mark Borkowski dubbed it “groundbreaking, an absolute first, a tectonic shift in how the royal family controls its image.” He concluded, “Kate’s journey is profound and deeply personal, but they’ve learned that emotion can be controlled – and weaponised – in small, potent doses. By doing this through a polished film, they maintain dignity and control while still appearing relatable.”
The video is being seen by many as a clear sign that the Princess was attempting to control the narrative of her illness. It’s a sign of how she wants to communicate with people: Straight, direct, and simple. Kensington Palace, the couple’s private office, and its handling of communications about Kate’s illness this year, had been roundly criticised and found wanting. Speculation had run riot, after Kate, one of the world’s most photographed women, was not seen in public for months after undergoing abdominal surgery in January this year. In March, the palace’s attempt to silence rumours by issuing a family portrait, backfired when the photograph was found to have been digitally altered. It was followed by Princess Kate’s announcement that she was being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, a revelation that prompted widespread public sympathy and support. The new video is seen as the royal family being “on the front foot,” and showing that they have learnt from their earlier mistakes.
Most Popular Royal
Prince William and Princess Kate’s strong social media presence is also seen as essential to maintaining the British royal family’s relevance and appeal. Accountability and transparency, on their part, are considered very important for the royals who are funded by taxpayer money.
Kate and her husband are popular across generations, and consistently at the top of popularity polls. A YouGuv survey in April this year showed her to be the most well-thought-of royal among the public, with a score of 76%, while Prince William came in second at 73%, and Princess Anne third at 71%. This month, she topped the Ipsos poll again by an astounding margin – winning the hearts of 66% of those surveyed. Her father-in-law, King Charles III, notched a 56% favourability score to come in at fourth place, after William and Princess Anne.
So, what makes Princess Kate so well-loved?
As ‘NBC’ puts it, “Though she is formally known as Catherine, the Princess of Wales, for millions worldwide, she will always just be Kate Middleton: The English commoner who married a prince and whose elegant but accessible image has cemented her as Britain’s favourite royal.”
As the royals found themselves short of headline acts, what with the demise of Queen Elizabeth II, the cancer diagnosis of King Charles III, and with Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, living in California, Princess Kate had been picking up the slack, so to speak. As “a reliable royal foot soldier and someone able to bring star power to even the most mundane ribbon-cutting event,” she and William, the Prince of Wales, had largely navigated their desire for privacy with their growing public duties once he became heir to the throne.
According to ‘NBC News’ royal commentator Daisy McAndrew, Kate has always had a can-do-no-wrong reputation, and remains “a source of fascination.”
Kathryn Lamontagne, Boston University historian and royal commentator, believes the answer lies in the enigma of Kate Middleton, and how she has embraced her role as the Princess of Wales, future Queen, and mother to the future King of England, as well as the version of traditional womanhood she presents to the public.
A Fitting Future Queen
A graduate of the elite Marlborough College, Middleton’s parents were industrious entrepreneurs who founded a party supply company to create the wealth and opportunities that enabled their children to enter elite circles. It was while Kate pursued a degree in art history at the ancient university of St Andrew’s in Scotland after a gap year, that she renewed an acquaintance with Prince William. As their dating life kept the gossip mills in business, her ‘girl-next-door’ appeal found favour with the public. Affection for her grew as she and William dated on and off. “Her femininity, gorgeous hair, sportiness, ‘safe’ career, beauty, and family wealth made her an enviable figure to many,” notes Lamontagne.
The fairy tale reached completion with her wedding. As Rafa de Miguel writes in ‘El Pais’, “On April 29, 2011, the wedding was held at Westminster Abbey. Since then, Middleton has not taken a wrong step, at least in the view of that part of the conservative and traditional British society that desires a monarchy with all its conventions. She is a dedicated mother — the couple has three children: George, Charlotte and Louis — and supports her husband unconditionally. She was devoted to Elizabeth II and now follows her father-in-law, King Charles III. When she appears at public events, she shows polished correctness. In other words, she has all the attributes required of a future queen.”
Evidently, transitioning to royal life easily, she became involved in numerous charities, especially those involving children. In 2021, she established the Centre for Early Childhood, which is part of the Royal Foundation. She has also supported efforts concerning mental health issues. In 2017, she along with William and his brother, Prince Harry, launched the Heads Together initiative, which seeks to raise awareness about mental health problems and ease the stigma around them. She is also a noted amateur photographer, frequently posting family portraits online.
Kate is seen to present an idealised, even old-fashioned version of womanhood, adhering to traditional beauty tropes, even as she embodies “perfected” womanhood as a devoted wife, mother, and talented photographer, besides being thin, wealthy, well-educated, and sporty. “Reportedly she even makes all of the children’s birthday cakes from scratch. She is unlike other female relatives of her generation who are lampooned for hat choices, husbands, careers, and having opinions…” reminds Lamontagne.
Kate’s earlier video revealing her cancer diagnosis and the subsequent stunning update on completing chemotherapy have again shown the people that she is just like them, in some small way. Offered a window into her joy as well as her sorrow, the public has clasped her closer than ever, just like they did her mother-in-law, the best-loved Princess Diana. Long live, the Princess!
