Whenever a camera is pointed at her, Kate Middleton thinks of Prince Philip. Before his death, the husband of the late Queen Elizabeth II gave the royal several pieces of advice on how best to cope with the media frenzy surrounding the royal family. He knew better than anyone: marrying a future king or queen is no mean feat.
Princess Kate’s every move is scrutinized by the public and immortalized by a camera, wielded by a palace photographer, a journalist, or a commoner, a smartphone held at arm’s length. According to biographer Gyles Brandreth’s 2021 book, Philip: The Final Portrait, the Duke of Edinburgh gave Kate a piece of advice that shaped her approach to the public.
“If you think the attention is on you personally, you’ll end up in trouble,” Philip told her, per Hello!. “The focus is on your role, what you do, what you support. It’s not focused on you as an individual. You’re not a celebrity. You represent the royal family. That’s all.”
This lesson in humility has paid off, as Prince William’s wife is now the most popular member of the royal family, hailed for her discretion, elegance, and devotion to the causes she holds dear. Philip himself was full of praise for Kate Middleton, commending her sensible and level-headed character, according to Brandreth.
The advice he gave her also enabled her to adjust her behavior with the media. The key? Never look at the lens, and stay focused on the person you’re talking to, no matter how many recorders are nearby. While Prince Philip was always known for his attentiveness to the youngest members of the family, it seems that Kate was particularly touched by their exchanges. So much so that royal experts see similarities in their very different backgrounds: “Kate shines in her own light, but she knows her place in the royal family. She never tries to overshadow her husband,” Penny Junor, a royal family biographer, told the Daily Mail. “I think Kate is a bit like Prince Philip, who has always supported Queen Elizabeth II.”
There are also whispers that Kate and William are inspired by the longevity of Elizabeth and Philip’s marriage as they look toward the future. Their elders enjoyed 73 years of marriage, until the Duke of Edinburgh’s death on April 9, 2021 at the age of 99. The Queen passed away on September 8 of the following year, aged 96.
