Royal women have faced struggles throughout history – and in her new book, the royal biographer Catherine Mayer explores the challenges confronted by the Queen, the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex, as well as past figures including Diana, Princess of Wales, Queen Victoria and Anne Boleyn.
In an exclusive interview for HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast, the author discusses how a calm and composed Kate Middleton managed to establish a unique role within the Firm.
“She has done such a clever job of finding a way to adapt to the institution,” says Catherine, who published a biography of Prince Charles, as he was then, in 2015. “That does not mean that I think she has it easy. [But she has done] very little speaking and almost no confessional spilling of anything about who she is. She’s quite enigmatic.
“She and William have chosen a group of friends who do no media. They are carving out a very private life in the public eye, which is an enormously difficult thing to do.”
“Player of the long game”
© Getty ImagesCatherine also says that Kate is “a player of the long game” when it comes to both her reputation and her sense of style. “She has, if you look at her fashion evolution, definitely figured out how to present herself.
“She’s gone almost entirely into the silver-screen age, which says ‘classic and elegant’. She never tries to go high-fashion in a way that would be challenging.”
When faced with tests of her reputation, Kate has always stayed calm, the author says. “That’s part of what turned things around for her – her absolute refusal to panic and change things, because she’s stayed true to [herself].”
“Great people working for her”
Discussing the Duchess of Sussex, Catherine says that Meghan “had great people working for her” during her time as a senior royal.
© Getty Images“I don’t think she necessarily understood how great those people working for her were, but I understand why she didn’t understand what was going on,” she says.
“I think the expectation that she should have [understood] comes from people who don’t know what it’s like behind palace doors. I know enough to know that it would have completely wrong-footed me.”
Completely transformed
In contrast, she notes that Camilla’s image has been completely transformed in a positive way. “She has the most amazing arc of all of the women in the book. She’s now seen as a stalwart of the monarchy as opposed to the biggest threat that it faced. It’s an incredible change. Camilla just comes in and takes to [royal life] like a duck to water.
© Getty Images“I do think part of the reason that she and Charles have such a good relationship is the similarity in their backgrounds. They have a world view that is, in many ways, closely aligned.”
Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles by Catherine Mayer is out now, published by HQ, priced £22.
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