Kate Middleton is 'a very different woman' to Princess Diana, claims royal expert

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published 3 September 2022

While similarities between Kate Middleton and her mother-in-law Princess Diana have often been drawn, according to a royal expert, the two are very different.

Kate Middleton is regularly spotted paying tribute to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana through the clothes and jewellery she chooses to wear while carrying out her royal duties
While this inevitably opens her up to comparison with the people's princess, a royal expert has claimed that the two princesses are 'very different' women and that Kate has no interest in copying Diana
In other royal news, Kate Middleton and Prince William have broken their silence during their holiday to share amazing news

Kate Middleton, 40, has often been compared to her mother-in-law, Princess Diana, by the media. Comparisons are made regarding the pairs fashion choices and more often than not, it is Kate's wearing of Diana's jewellery that fuels the conversation. But despite the apparent likeness, a royal commentator has claimed that Kate Middleton has made her own identity as a royal, not built one off the back of Diana's popularity.

Katie Nicholl, the royal correspondent for Vanity Fair, spoke to 9Honey about Princess Diana's legacy and Kate Middleton’s own image as a royal.

The journalist said, “I think one of the great strengths of Kate, and one of her real successes, is that she hasn't followed in Diana's footsteps. I don't think she seeks to emulate Diana.

“I think she was so aware of the comparison right from the outset, but despite the weight of that engagement ring on her finger, and the significance that that holds and the comparisons it inevitably draws, she is actually a very different woman.

“Her success has been in carving her own identity in the royal family as the Duchess of Cambridge and making that role herself.”

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The royal writer pointed out that there have been “echoes of Diana in Kate” as she has made some “very deliberate nods” to Princess Diana in her fashion choices. But these choices have not been made to 'emulate' Diana, instead, Kate aims to honour her.

After the births of Kate Middleton and Prince William's two sons, Prince George in 2013 and Prince Louis in 2018, Kate chose to wear similar dresses to those Princess Diana wore after her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, were born. Nicholl dubbed this, "a respectful nod, a respectful tribute."

She explained, “After the birth of George when she wore that blue and white dress, after Louis's birth she was in the red, that was very Diana, Diana had worn the same sort of red dress.”

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After the birth of Prince George, Kate paid subtle tribute to Princess Diana by wearing a polka dot dress by designer Jenny Packham that looked incredibly similar to the dress Princess Diana wore when leaving the hospital in 1982 with Prince William.

Then, in her first appearance with Prince Louis in 2018, she wore a red dress with a white collar by the same designer, that mirrored the dress Princess Diana wore to present Prince Harry to the world in 1984.

Ms Nicholl concluded, “Really, it's a respectful nod and an acknowledgement of the continuation of history."

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.