The world watched Kate Middleton evolve from Prince William's college girlfriend to a powerful force within the monarchy. Although Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's constant tell-alls influenced the public's perception of the royal family, the Princess of Wales continues to be a fan-favorite.
Public relations expert Eddie Coram James discussed Kate's decades of being in the public eye and her likability.
"The Princess of Wales has remained broadly controversy-free for years," James told a publication. "She’s kept her head down, not made a fuss, worked hard and dedicated herself to good causes."
James later discussed how the Princess of Wales' decision to skip William's Earthshot Prize to care for the couple's children resonates with the general public.
“When she says she wants to miss Earthshot to focus on parenting, people trust that that is probably the case," James explained.
While Kate cemented herself within The Firm, royal commentator Ingrid Seward discussed how Harry's ranking declined over the years.
“Prince Harry’s place in the royal family has changed dramatically since the death of his grandmother and his father became King," Seward said to an outlet. "Instead of the prominent role, he would have had, Harry was relegated to the bottom of the royal list. Almost but not quite an outsider."
“The Queen had high hopes that the foursome might spearhead the monarchy of the future," Seward added. "Sharing the sometimes demanding, duller duties and supporting their father into the future when she was no longer around."
In the docuseries Harry & Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex attempted to depict William and Kate as rigid.
“I was a hugger and have always been a hugger. I didn’t realize that that was really jarring for a lot of Brits,” Meghan said when discussing her first impression of the pair. “I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside.”
“There is a forward-facing way of being, and then you close the door and you are like, ‘Oh, great. We can relax now.’ But that formality carries over on both sides. And that was surprising to me,” Meghan admitted.
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Prior to Meghan's 2021 tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, it was reported that the Suits star had a spat with Kate over Princess Charlotte's bridesmaids dress, leaving Kate in tears.
"The narrative with Kate — which didn’t happen — was really, really difficult and something that . . . I think that’s when everything changed, really," Meghan confessed when asked about the scandal.
"The reverse happened. And I don’t say that to be disparaging to anyone, because it was a really hard week of the wedding," she continued. "And she was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologized. And she brought me flowers and a note, apologizing. And she did what I would do if I knew that I hurt someone, right, to just take accountability for it. What was shocking was . . . what was that, six, seven months after our wedding?"
James spoke to Daily Express.
