Before his death in 2021, Prince Philip had been part of the Royal Family for more than 70 years. During his life, he saw many additions to the family and their capacity to deal with the spotlight.
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As today, 9 April 2024, marks the third anniversary of his death here's an example of how Prince Philip was an influential member of the Firm. Indeed, though he was never in power and came from a royal family which lost it, numerous examples show how the then Duke of Edinburgh, was crucial in keeping members of the family in line.
What Prince Philip said about Kate Middleton
Gyles Brandreth reveals in his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, that the former Duke of Edinburgh was delighted when his grandson, Prince William, started dating Kate Middleton in 2001.
According to the author and close family friend:
When Catherine Middleton came along as a potential bride for his grandson, Prince William, the Duke of Edinburgh was, he told me, ‘relieved to find her such a level-headed girl’
Royal expert Ingrid Seward, who wrote Prince Philip’s biography, claimed that the Duke made it known that he liked the-then Duchess of Cambridge.
After the Duke's death, Prince William reflected on his wife's relationship with his grandfather, saying that he 'will always be grateful for the kindness he showed her'.
Some words of wisdom
In Prince Philip's eyes, being level-headed is a very important trait as people who marry in to the Royal Family have to deal with an immense amount of public spotlight, and they may not be prepared for it.
Indeed, Prince Philip was apparently very ‘saddened’ by the way Princess Diana dealt with the constant spotlight. According to the book, the Duke believed the former Princess of Wales ‘allowed her popularity to go to her head’.
According to Brandreth, Prince Philip warned Kate perhaps in an attempt to save her from making the same mistakes as Princess Diana. He reportedly warned:
If you believe the attention is for you personally, you’re going to end up in trouble.
He then explained to the future Princess that the media and public attention was for the role she embodied, for the causes she would be supporting, not for her as an individual. He continued:
You are not a celebrity. You are representing the Royal Family. That’s all.
The example of Queen Elizabeth
In the same book, Brandreth reveals that the late Queen Elizabeth II had not been affected by ‘being an object of adulation’ during her 70 years on the throne.
According to Prince Philip, the fact that hundreds and thousands, even sometimes millions of people lined the streets to cheer when the Queen made an appearance, ‘she never once thought the cheering was for her personally’.
The Prince went on to say:
It didn’t affect her at all. It’s for the position she holds – it’s for the role she fulfils, it’s because she’s Queen. That’s all. She knows that.
The former Duke of Edinburgh concluded that his beloved wife never allowed the popularity of her position as Queen to ‘turn her head’. He said:
Her head hasn’t been turned by being Queen – not at all. She’s quite normal.
Queen Camilla also offered advice
In a 2020 Channel 4 documentary titled Charles & Camilla: King and Queen in Waitingit was suggested that the then Duchess of Cornwall could have been of great help to Kate when she first joined the family.
As Express reported at the time, the documentary stated:
As a royal outsider herself, Camilla had great empathy for both young women [Kate and Meghan].
For Kate, in particular, Camilla was on hand with invaluable advice leading up to her wedding with William.
In the documentary, royal expert Katie Nicholl alleged that Queen Camilla 'made sure to take Kate out for lunch' so she could share some 'tips' of what entering the world of the Royal Family is like. But apparently, Queen Camilla's attention hasn't stopped there. Nicholl added:
She has been there for the Duchess of Cambridge.
The documentary also gave a platform to Carole Malone (from This Morning, GB News, and Sky) who suggested that Queen Camilla spoke to Middleton about how to cope with the paparazzi as well as the attention.
Malone said:
Kate didn’t know how to be royal so she would’ve felt like an outsider. In those early days, she was pursued, she was pursued by the paparazzi, by the press.
Adding:
Camilla knew how it worked, she was in a very good position to give advice.
Kate Middleton teased by royals
Even though, now in 2024, Kate Middleton has clearly taken all of the advice given and applied it, her first steps as a working royal were tentative. Mirror reports that in an interview with the BBC to mark Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday, the now Princess of Wales explained how members of the Firm tease her about her approach to royal engagements.
According to the Princess herself, her technique to royal walkabouts remains far from perfect. She detailed:
I think there is a real art to walkabouts, everyone teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting so I think I've still got to learn a little bit more and pick up a few more tips I suppose.
In the same interview, the Princess recalled her first ever engagement with the Queen and without Prince William. That event took place in 2012 in Leicester. Reminiscing, Middleton says:
The most memorable engagement for me I suppose was an away day to Leicester and I went without William so I was rather apprehensive about that,
Adding,
She was very supportive. The fact she took the time to make sure that I was happy and looked after for that particular occasion, which probably in everything that she's doing is a very small element, which just shows how caring she is, really.
Read more:
⋙ Kate Middleton: A look back at her style evolution in 37 images
⋙ Kate Middleton: This is why she buys her clothes in several colours
Sources used:
The Mirror: Kate Middleton given three-word compliment by Prince Philip and strict advice, says book
Woman & Home: The touching compliment Kate Middleton received from Prince Philip when she started dating Prince William
Express.co.uk: Prince Philip's fascinating insight on the Queen: 'She never thought cheering was for her'
Mirror: Kate Middleton reveals surprising reason other royals 'teased' her
Express: Kate, Duchess of Cambridge offered 'invaluable advice' from Camilla on how to be royal
