Kate Middleton is easing back into her royal schedule after spending most of 2024 recovering from cancer away from the public eye. However, according to a royal expert, we might see a new side of Kate as she embraces an attitude towards her work that’s more in keeping with her late mother-in-law. As Kate and Prince William embrace a more open dynamic with the public, the Prince and Princess of Wales could also be breaking royal protocol–and following in Princess Diana’s footsteps–by making more political statements in the years ahead.
Kate and William’s PDA-packed social media posts and surprisingly candid health updates demonstrated a shift towards a more candid, down-to-earth relationship with the public. Even King Charles has gotten into this less formal approach, holding his annual Christmas address at a hospital instead of a royal residence. Now that Kate’s health is in a better place, royal expert Jennie Bond tells Mirror that it’s clear the princess doesn’t just want to be a royal figurehead when it comes to issues and causes that she’s passionate about–and it’s reminiscent of Princess Diana.
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“Kate has grown into a strong woman and we are seeing her take agency over her own life,” the former BBC correspondent told the publication, citing Kate’s recent prison visit. “In many ways she is continuing where her late mother-in-law, Diana, left off–refusing to be dictated to by ‘the gray men of the palace.”
Diana might have been a trailblazer in an even more traditional royal era, but Kate has quickly come into her own with a new mindset after her “tough” health battle.
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“It took Diana a long time to stand up for herself, but if you think about it, Kate has now been either associated with or an integral part of the royal family for longer than Diana was,” Bond continued. “She is championing causes that she has chosen, and I think her cancer diagnosis has made her even more determined to carry out her role in the way that she believes is most effective.”
Bond said it’s clear that both Kate and William want to make a difference by “using their influence” for initiatives they particularly involved in like homelessness and youth education.
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“They are both doing things in a new way, which perhaps the old guard of the palace might have found alarming,” the expert added. “Highlighting homelessness and educational needs are, by definition, political topics, but that has not stopped either of them from wading in, in a bid to make a real and lasting change.”