Kate Middleton ‘almost refused to take Princess Diana’s iconic title over heartbreaking fears’
Since King Charles took to the throne, Kate has been known as the Princess of Wales, a title once held by her late mother-in-law Princess Diana - but according to a brand new book, there was a time she thought she would not take the style
She’s now known as the Princess of Wales – a title once held by her late mother-in-law Princess Diana.
But according to a new bombshell book, Kate once thought about refusing the traditional title given to the wife of the heir to the throne due to a heartbreaking reason. When King Charles ascended to the throne in September 2022 after the death of Elizabeth II, he almost immediately made Prince William, Prince of Wales, which in turn made Kate, Princess of Wales.
The last person to have been known as the Princess of Wales before Kate was the late Diana, whose untimely death at the age of 36 in 1997 sent shockwaves around the world.
Diana, who was the last Princess of Wales before Kate ( Image: Paul Vicente/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Kate became Princess of Wales when King Charles became monarch ( Image: Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock)
And according to the new book Catherine, The Princess of Wales: The Biography, author Robert Jobson claims Kate once thought that when the time came, she might have refused the title due to the constant comparison between her and Diana. In an extract in the Daily Mail, he wrote: “In marrying the elder son of Prince Charles, Catherine was aware she’d one day have to tread in her late mother-in-law’s footsteps—but the prospect of becoming the Princess of Wales held little appeal
“She knew she’d inevitably be compared with Diana, whose untimely death had provoked such a tsunami of anger and grief. And she was right. The similarities and differences between the two women were dissected ad infinitum and even discussed in the royal household.
Kate with Camilla, who used the title Duchess of Cornwall before she became Queen ( Image: Getty Images)
“Kate found all such talk stressful. Indeed, it got to the point where she felt she might follow Camilla (who opted to become Duchess of Cornwall) in refusing – when the time came – to be known as HRH Princess of Wales. Both Kate and William once spoke out about the late Diana during their engagement interview in 2010. Interview Tom Bradby asked: “William’s mother was this massive iconic figure. The most famous figure of our age. Is that worrying? Is that intimidating? Do you think about that?”
But William insisted there was no pressure on Kate explaining: “There’s no pressure, because like Kate said it is about carving your own future. No one is going to try to fill my mother’s shoes. What she did was fantastic. It’s about making your own future and your own destiny, and Kate will do a very good job of that.”
