Since marrying Prince William in 2011, Princess Kate has become one of the most popular members of the British Royal Family. And according to one royal author, the Princess of Wales is seemingly following in the footsteps of an iconic royal relative.
Royal biographer Catherine Mayer has just released her latest book, Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles. Speaking exclusively to Marie Claire, Mayer opens up about Princess Kate’s growing role within the Royal Family.
“There is some truth to the idea that Kate follows a model quite close to [Queen] Elizabeth’s in terms of letting images do the talking rather than expressing herself more verbally and freely,” Mayer says.
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The author continues, “That melds more easily with an institution that is meant to stay out of party politics and unite the populations it represents—across 15 Realms—rather than being divisive. But it doesn’t mean that other models are automatically wrong.”
Catherine Mayer
‘Divide and Rule’
“There is some truth to the idea that Kate follows a model quite close to [Queen] Elizabeth’s.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Mayer also notes that Queen Elizabeth’s reputation, having reigned for seven decades, is a “a tough act to follow.”
“With Elizabeth Windsor, it is even more tempting to believe that we know her,” the royal author tells Marie Claire. “Most of us grew up with her as a familiar, if distant, figure, and there are any number of films and TV series that appear to bring her to life.”
Mayer continues, “By the end of her reign, she was hailed as the perfect monarch and…a tough act to follow. That is to forget the long periods when she was criticized for missteps or mocked for being a little too safe, a little dowdy.”
However, there is one topic that might negatively impact Elizabeth’s legacy. “[I]t is quite possible that her decision to protect her second son, Andrew [Mountbatten-Windsor], will also dent her reputation in the short to medium term,” Mayer shares.
“That melds more easily with an institution that is meant to stay out of party politics and unite the populations it represents.”
(Image credit: GEOFF PUGH)
Mayer further shares, “A future society might admire [Queen Elizabeth] for reasons we can’t yet imagine or repurpose her story to serve their own narratives.”
And when it comes to Princess Kate, it seems as though she’s already building a solid legacy with firm foundations.
Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles by Catherine Mayer is available now.
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