Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth have a lot of similarities that Her Majesty's royal biographer said the Duchess of Cambridge is modeling herself on the British monarch. However, they have different approaches when it comes to handling their children.
Kate Middleton Reportedly Modeling Herself On Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth's biographer, Sally Bedell Smith, spoke with People this week about the two royals. According to her, Prince William's wife has learned a lot from his grandmother.
"Catherine has learned by observing," Bedell Smith told People. "She knows what resonates. She will have absorbed a lot from this Queen."
The British royal author also said that the future queen consort embodies the Queen's unofficial mantra, "Never complain, never explain." The royal mother of three has never addressed any issues or rumors about her.
Both have unerring discretion, quiet stoicism and firm loyalty. Also, they never publicize their personal opinions on political issues, and their public images are tightly controlled. They also do not immediately respond or pay attention to any issues thrown at them.
As for how Middleton learned the Queen's style, historian Sarah Gristwood, author of Elizabeth: Queen and Crown, believed that Her Majesty may have approached Middleton the way she does with prime ministers. Aside from seeing how the Queen behaves, she believes Middleton chooses to conform.
"It's a personal willingness to conform to the requirements of the institution," Gristwood added. "That sounds like an unappealing, unglamorous virtue, but it's an important one if you're going to be a successful cog in the royal wheel."
Kate Middleton And Queen Elizabeth Have Different Parenting Styles
Although Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth share a lot of common things, the two royals vary in terms of parenting. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very hands-on with their three children, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4.
In contrast to Middleton, who grew up as a commoner, the Queen was born into royalty and acceded the throne at age 25 following King George VI's sudden death in 1952. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had two kids at the time, and according to Bedell Smith in a separate report from People, it "was very difficult for her [Queen] to blend that role of wife and mother and head of state. She didn't have any role model."
"Her mother [Elizabeth] had been a very good Queen Consort," the biographer added. "and Elizabeth had learned some from her father. But in a way, she had to develop her own approach to being Queen."
Unlike Middleton, the Queen relied on nannies and staff to care for her young kids when she took over the throne.
Myka Meier told Us Weekly that Middleton's parenting style is similar to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana. The late Princess of Wales tried her best to give her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, a normal childhood. They were seen visiting McDonald's, enjoying different rides in a park and just having fun.
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"I think what [Kate] probably has learned in a sense is how to keep her calm," the royal etiquette expert told the outlet. "For instance, Princess Diana, there [was] so much stress and so much pressure all the time. And I think we're seeing the Duchess of Cambridge follow that same path of keeping her calm, even if maybe behind closed doors [she] doesn't feel like that."
Stay tuned for more news and updates about the royal family.
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