Diana was immediately styled Princess of Wales because her husband, Charles, was the heir and already held the title, making it his highest rank; Kate became Duchess of Cambridge at her wedding to William, who was second in line, but later became Princess of Wales in 2022 when Charles became King and passed the title to William, allowing her to adopt it as his consort, a status she chose to accept. The core difference is the husband's title at the time of marriage and the subsequent transfer of the Prince of Wales title.
Meghan isn't a princess because royal protocol reserves the "Princess" title (e.g., Princess Catherine) for women born into the royal family, not those who marry into it, though they technically hold the lesser title of Princess of the UK (like Princess Henry of Wales) but use their higher ducal title (Duchess of Sussex). Kate is also not called "Princess Kate," but "Princess of Wales" (after marrying the future King's heir), as she uses her husband's higher ducal title (Duchess of Cambridge), and Meghan uses "Duchess of Sussex". Both technically are princesses by marriage but are styled as Duchesses, with blood-born royals (like Princess Charlotte) being the ones who can use their first name with the title.
The Queen, known for sticking to royal protocol, reportedly cited tradition as the reason behind her decision. "Kate is a commoner and could not be known as 'Princess Catherine,'" the source elaborated. However, it wasn't entirely unheard of for the monarch to make exceptions.
The Crown took creative liberties and introduced Kate Middleton as a character, but her meeting with Princess Diana never happened in real life. The series reached recent history in its final season, covering events like Princess Diana's tragic car crash and Prince William meeting Kate Middleton in 2001.
Kate Middleton (Princess of Wales) often has plasters on her fingers due to minor cuts and scrapes from everyday activities, especially from playing with her children on the trampoline or gardening, with Kensington Palace confirming these are small, non-serious injuries. She's been seen with them at various events over the years, leading to speculation about gardening mishaps or kitchen accidents, but it's generally attributed to being an active mum.
Prince William and Kate Middleton sleep in separate beds primarily due to the constraints of the Royal Train (which has only single beds) and as part of a long-standing aristocratic tradition of separate sleeping arrangements for better rest or privacy, though they likely share a bed at home, with their dog sometimes joining them for extra comfort, aligning with modern trends for "sleep divorce".
The "baby brain" comment refers to a widely reported incident from Prince Harry's memoir Spare, where Meghan Markle allegedly told Kate Middleton she must have "baby brain because of her hormones" following Kate's birth of Prince Louis in 2018, causing a significant rift because Kate found the comment offensive, leading to a dispute about appropriate ways to speak within the Royal Family, although Meghan viewed it as a lighthearted comment she'd use with friends.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (then Sophie Rhys-Jones) did not attend Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, reportedly because her strong resemblance to Diana would have been too upsetting for the grieving crowds, a decision made thoughtfully by Sophie herself. At the time, she was dating Prince Edward, but they were not yet engaged or married.
Princess Diana's secret love affair with Hasnat Khan—her 'true soulmate,' as revealed by former butler Paul Burrell.
Princess Kate had "planned abdominal surgery" in January 2024, described by Kensington Palace as successful and non-cancerous initially, but later revealed to involve cancer requiring preventative chemotherapy, though the specific type of surgery (e.g., hysterectomy, organ removal, or other issue) was kept private, with speculation ranging from gynecological to gastrointestinal issues, all pointing to a major procedure requiring significant recovery time.
I omitted obey from my vows.
Prince William and the palace regularly reference her as Catherine in statements and formal communications, though the public and press colloquially call her Kate, as do some of her own friends. Read more: Royals.
Meghan Markle has publicly shared that she experienced postpartum preeclampsia, a serious and rare condition involving high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine that occurred after childbirth, describing it as a "huge medical scare". She revealed this on her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, highlighting the life-threatening nature of the disorder, which can happen weeks after delivery and impact new mothers' ability to care for their newborns.
It's understood that Kate will be named Queen consort when Prince William takes to the throne, as his great-grandmother, The Queen Mother, did previously. This is in line with royal tradition, as is explained on the palace's official website.
Princess Margaret didn't bow to Princess Diana's coffin at her funeral primarily due to a deep-seated resentment stemming from Diana's 1995 tell-all Panorama interview, which Margaret saw as a severe betrayal of the Royal Family and the Queen; Margaret never forgave Diana for publicly airing grievances and challenging royal decorum, viewing her as a disloyal figure, leading to her snub during the funeral procession despite their initially warm relationship.
Camilla did not attend Diana's funeral on September 6, 1997.
Diana was wearing a ring given to her by Dodi Fayed when she died. It was a £3,000 Bulgari yellow gold band with diamonds. The diamond band set in yellow gold was not an engagement ring and was worn on the fourth finger of her right hand, where her butler Paul Burrell advised her to wear it.
A whopping 66% of respondents reported feeling favorably toward Kate, while only 10% had an unfavorable opinion of the Princess of Wales.
Royal Highnesses bow and curtsey only to majesties, so Meghan would only have to do so to Kate once the princess becomes Queen.
No, King Charles and Queen Camilla generally sleep in separate bedrooms, a common practice among the British upper class and royals, including the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, as it helps maintain their relationship and allows for personal space, with both having their own rooms at residences like Clarence House and private country homes.
As Kate Middleton walked down the aisle at her wedding to Prince William, Prince Harry looked back and told his brother, "Right, she is here now," followed by, "Well, she looks beautiful, I can tell you that," according to royal author Marcia Moody in her book Kate: A Biography. This sweet moment captured Harry's approval and happiness for his brother, as reported by.