Why Kate Middleton Had To Revamp Her Reputation For The Future Of The Royals

On the one hand, her change was inevitable. How the royals look and behave when out and about is key to winning the hearts of fans all around the world. Kate has had the basics covered for a while, of course. She’s always impeccably dressed, well-mannered, and super smiley when chatting with fans. But she’s been adjusting her image even further in recent times.

That’s because Kate’s been playing catch up. For while she certainly came from a well-to-do family, she wasn’t born into royalty. Sure, her father had links to British nobility, and the family business was very successful — but it’s hardly the same thing. Kate wasn’t exactly being prepped for future queenhood while she was growing up.

No, Kate has had to learn it all as she’s gone along — and there’s a lot to learn. Everything is governed by strict protocol and tradition when you’re a royal, including things such as how you dress or what you eat. For someone who grew up in a comparatively normal family, it must’ve been a hard transition. And Kate’s been continually making adjustments ever since... even more so recently.

Perhaps this is because, no matter how much Kate prepares, there are bound to be people out there who’ll think she can do better. That’s just the sad part of being in the spotlight, unfortunately. Back in 2011, after the engagement was announced, people happily called Kate a gold-digger — and worse.

“Poor Kate,” the New Statesman magazine called her before the royal wedding. “The narrative of her marriage to Prince William has been decided even before she chooses her dress — a grasping, social-climbing, middle-class girl who happens to have snared the heir to the British throne.” And at that time Kate wasn’t doing too well in opinion polls, either.

A ComRes survey indicated that two-thirds of British people weren’t all that interested in the upcoming royal wedding. Op-ed pieces in newspapers also judged the future duchess’ fashion choices and called her all sorts of cruel names. Kate, it seems, was either too normal or too snobby — depending on who you asked.

Still, swimming against the tide, there were voices of support. “Kate was ordinary, hard-working, athletic, and easy-going,” wrote Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore, a friend of the Middleton family, in The Guardian in 2011. “Media depictions swing between a snooty Sloane and a dastardly commoner. Both are wrong.” But reportedly even the Queen had doubts about her future granddaughter-in-law.

In 2018 journalist Phil Dampier told the Daily Express, “There was a phase where [Kate] appeared to be doing very little really. The Queen once remarked, ‘Kate doesn’t do very much,’ so I think she had a fairly long entrance to the royal family.” And others agree that the Queen was not won over by Kate at first.

In 2011 royal expert Katie Nicholl wrote in her book The Making of a Royal Romance, “Privately [the Queen] had grave concerns and believed that Kate needed to have a job and an identity in her own right before an engagement was announced.” So already Kate needed to adjust her image.

Nicholl added, “[The Queen] is one of the hardest-working royals, despite her age, and that a future member of the royal family was without a full-time job was unacceptable to her.” And Nicholl claimed a source close to the monarch had said, “Swanning from one five-star holiday resort to another is not the prerequisite for a young woman possibly destined to be Queen.” But after the wedding, things seemed to improve.

Kate certainly didn’t appear to be “swanning” any longer. She and William hosted President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, at Buckingham Palace, went on a tour of the USA and Canada, and showed up at a plethora of important events. Yet while on tour, Kate may have learned the hard way that you can’t please everyone.

Charles apparently disliked that Kate and William stopped for so many photos on their tour and drew such a lot of attention. “When Charles and Camilla visited Canada two years ago they were greeted by relatively small crowds,” Dampier told the Daily Mirror. Perhaps the prince had an ulterior motive, then?

“Charles felt overshadowed by Diana, and now it seems he feels overshadowed by their son,” Dampier said. “Some people may think he is jealous. I have always felt that as soon as William got married, Charles would feel sidelined.”

The royals are used to sudden, unexpected shifts in their roles and lifestyles. You need only look back to 2020 when Harry and Meghan decided to step back as senior royals. And, interestingly, that event also presented an image problem for Kate.

Kate and Meghan have long been pitted against each other in the media. Their separate fashion styles, backgrounds, and even their personalities were frequently part of a “Who’s better?”-type discourse. That’s another downside of being a royal — you’ll almost inevitably be compared unfavorably to members of your own family.

Wisely, perhaps, Kate weathered what the media dubbed “Megxit” by simply not commenting at all. There were signs that all was well between the two couples, though. When Kate dropped a 2020 Instagram post in honor of her birthday, for example, Harry and Meghan wished her many happy returns in the comments.

That same year, Britain — and much of the world, for that matter — went into lockdown as a result of the pandemic. This forced the royal family to make adjustments to their usual habits. Suddenly, interviews and appearances had to be done via the internet rather than in person. And Kate took to the changes like a duck to water.

Both Kate and Will suddenly seemed quite relatable — more so than they’d ever been before. They, too, were using Zoom and could engage in conversations about the difficulties of homeschooling their kids. Kate apparently took the lead technology-wise. And according to insiders, she was the one who taught the Queen how to use video calling.

Kate wasn’t going to let a pandemic get in the way of attending official engagements, either. After all, the royals tend to be judged on how many they take part in each year. And the duke and duchess apparently knew exactly what it was like to be criticized for not doing enough.

It sounds like the Queen was very keen that her family worked to earn their keep. In 2017 pregnant Kate reportedly wanted to scale down the number of public appearances she attended. But her mother-in-law supposedly wasn’t too happy with this. It seems the Crown comes before all — even severe morning sickness!

Luckily, Kate and the Queen seemed to have a very strong bond. There was no more talk of Kate disappointing her grandmother-in-law. In fact, it became quite the opposite. In 2019 an anonymous insider told Vanity Fair that “the Queen [was] a fan; Kate is unflappable.”

“[Kate’s] mantra is very like the Queen’s keep-calm-and-carry-on approach in life,” the source added. “And she has the added benefit of making the royal family seem almost normal and in touch.” An invaluable skill, given the family’s power and privilege. And Kate’s efforts to be more relatable seem to have so far gone down very well.

It helps that she is, in some respects, quite an ordinary mother. Even though Prince George will likely be king one day, his parents have tried to shield him from the enormity of that fact. And all three Cambridge kids are kept away from the paparazzi. Kate has also been very honest about her parenting not being perfect all the time.

In February 2020 she discussed “mom guilt” on the podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby. She said this feeling affects all moms — “even moms who aren’t necessarily working, aren’t pulled in the directions of having to juggle work life and family life; there’s always something.” This openness is very new for the royal image, too.

Kate even made it clear that she wasn’t actually the world’s best parent 100 percent of the time. It’s an admission that many people would probably empathize with. She told podcast host Giovanna Fletcher, “Even this morning, coming to the nursery visit here, George and Charlotte were like, ‘Mummy, how could you possibly not be dropping us off at school this morning?’”

Friends of Kate and her family have also offered up stories about how down-to-earth she is behind closed doors. In December 2020 an unnamed acquaintance told People magazine that the Cambridge residence is “a normal, busy family home with kids running around and knocking things over. There are no airs and graces.”

The source also said that Kate is “very chilled at home.” But they added, “When you see her behind closed doors with the children, she’s a very confident mom, and she’s no pushover. The children get told off if they act up.” And we can believe that — especially after seeing some of the photos of Kate telling her kids off in public.

Apparently, the Kate who drops her kids off at school is very different from the Kate who appears at events. “There are no blow-dries — it’s always hair up in a ponytail,” the friend said. “She’s either in her gym clothes, or a dress and sneakers, very little makeup, apologizing as she’s late for the school run before dashing off. It’s the life of a working mom with three young children.”

A person who lived near the royal’s day-to-day Norfolk home — which is called Anmer Hall — also told People about spotting Kate and William out and about. They said of the pair, “They were talking about home life and the children — just like any other parents on a night out. You were just struck by what a normal lovely couple they are.”

Another person told the magazine, “Even if [Kate] were married to a banker, I don’t think she would be much different. She would have wanted to be a country mom and be in town occasionally. I don’t think she would have been living a very different life.” Well, maybe not in private, anyway.

“At the end of the day, she’s in training to be a future Queen, but honestly you would never know it,” another source told People. “If you go round to her house, you get a cup of tea, and it’s often William who makes it! It’s a lovely, welcoming house, not a fancy, stuffy palace in any way.” Kate’s popularity just keeps on increasing, too.

In 2019 the results of a YouGov poll to find the most popular royal were published. The Queen took the top spot — maybe that’s not much of a surprise — but Kate came in fourth, behind William and Harry. And in 2020 Kate was declared “coolest female of the moment” in a Perspectus Global poll.

That time, she polled higher than the Queen and Michelle Obama, Billie Eilish, and Katy Perry. “From her Hold Still photography project to a video call with a new mum and virtual bingo session with care home residents, Kate has shown just how cool and inspiring she is,” a Perspectus Global spokeswoman said in a statement.

Yep, Kate’s philanthropy has definitely helped win people over to her side. The Queen could never have complained that she wasn't doing enough. Kate supports many non-profit organizations, a lot of which are to do with children and mental health. And she even spent her ninth wedding anniversary doing charity work.

In May 2020 royal expert Sarah Gristwood talked to Vanity Fair about Kate’s transformation. She said, “There is a repositioning going on within the royal family, and we are clearly seeing this. I think this is one of the most important stages in Kate’s life as a royal. As a young mother, Kate was allowed to raise her children away from the media spotlight, but now we are seeing a shift.”

“[Kate is] working harder, being more visible and we are also seeing more of the Cambridge children,” Gristwood said. “Kate has been given a platform to take on a more prominent role. She’s not just accompanying William to engagements, she is doing things independently and voicing new ideas.” And that can only be a good thing.

Gristwood said that, without Harry and Meghan, “the royal family were at risk of looking out-of-touch and dowdy.” She continued, “With Charles and Camilla over 70, and Anne about to get there, and the Queen scaling back, there is a serious vacuum when it comes to star appeal at the heart of the royal family. This is Kate’s moment to shine.”

So, in winning the heart of Prince William, Kate managed to steal the affections of an entire nation — if not the world. Duchess of Cambridge has stepped out of her husband’s shadow with her enviable sense of style and charitable nature. And to recognize her unbelievable success as a working member of the Royal Family, the Queen wanted to give her something special.

So when Kate’s wedding anniversary rolled around, the Queen knew she had to give her something special. The Queen of England has access to more treasures than anyone else, so if anyone could give Kate the gift of a lifetime, it was her.

But there’s more to being royal than tiaras and jewels, and the Queen knew that Kate was worth more than sparkles. She had a different gift in mind for the Duchess — one that couldn’t be found in a palace.

The Queen had a lot to live up to, considering the gifts she’d given to the couple on previous occasions. She’s often given members of the royal family esteemed titles and honors over the years, and she has a history of giving her grandchildren lavish gifts. 

The gift she gave William and Kate on their wedding day was certainly lavish: She gave them Anmer Hall, which now serves as a second home for Will, Kate, and their kids. And as far as gifts go, the Queen wasn’t done being generous. 

She provided the beautiful tiara Kate wore on her wedding day. Known as the Cartier Halo Tiara, it was originally purchased by the Queen’s father and eventually passed down to Queen Elizabeth. The Queen wasn't all about glitz and glam, however. 

The Queen actually prefered that the family exchange silly gifts at Christmas instead of something extravagant. We can only imagine what Kate gave the Queen! Judging by photos snapped by paparazzi, the Christmas shenanigans have only brought them closer.

They would often next to each other at events and are seen laughing and having a good time together. Clearly, they get along — and a unique item Kate wore to a Buckingham Palace State Dinner in 2018 put their respect for each other on display.

Affixed to Kate’s gown was the badge of the royal family order of Queen Elizabeth II. This is a rare item to see on a royal, since the Queen only gave the award to members of her family in honor of exemplary service.

Still, the ivory badge of the royal family isn’t the most prestigious award a family member can receive from the monarch. In April 2019, the Queen had something special in mind for Kate, and it blew the honorable ivory badge out of the water.

For Kate’s 8th wedding anniversary, the Queen presented her with the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. This may not sound like a big deal, but its history makes it one of the most prestigious awards one can get.

The Royal Victorian Order all started with — as you may have guessed — Queen Victoria herself. These awards are made personally by the Queen for “services to the sovereign,” so it’s a high honor. For Kate especially, this award has a more significant meaning.

Kate will likely one day be queen consort, AKA the wife of the king. If it seems like Kate is buried in responsibilities now, it will only increase when she becomes queen consort, and Queen Elizabeth had apparently already started meeting with Kate in secret. 

It’s believed that she was doing so in order to train Kate for her future queenly duties. Though she’ll never have to make any political or militaristic decisions, she will be under an astounding amount of pressure from the public and the royal family.

Not only will her status be elevated, but she’ll have to deal with ceremonial duties that are specific to the queen consort. This is a lot on anyone's shoulders — and a royal source let the public in on how those secret meetings were going.

”She’s really taken Kate under her wing,” the source said. “The two of them will often spend hours discussing royal life and the future of the monarchy.” Their friendship, it seems, goes even further than a badge, award, or sash could ever relay.

It doesn’t take a lavish gift or honorable title to see how proud the Queen was of Kate’s accomplishments. If anyone ever doubted Kate’s ability to lead, the Queen’s honor of the Royal Victorian Order is proof that the monarchy is in good hands.