Marrying a senior member of the royal family can be quite an adjustment. Apart from living a lavish lifestyle that includes royal residences ranging from palaces to castles
, it's a very public-facing job. When Catherine, Princess of Wales, officially joined the family, the intense media coverage could easily have puffed up her ego. Luckily Kate's relationship with Prince Philip saved her from this pitfall.Based on numerous photos of Kate and Philip, the two clearly enjoyed each other's company,
which may have made it easier for the princess to follow his suggestions about their royal responsibilities. Sadly, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Philip's relationship was purportedly a lot more complicated. If Prince Philip gave Meghan the same suggestions, they might not have carried the same weight.
While Kate Middleton had plenty to learn from all her royal in-laws, Prince Philip was uniquely suited to help her. Both of them married future heirs to the throne. When Kate married William, Prince of Wales, in 2011, Prince Philip already had almost 60 years of experience as a consort to Queen Elizabeth. His down-to-earth view helped him weather life in the spotlight. "The attention is for your role, what you do, what you're supporting," Prince Philip explained in Gyles Brandreth's "Philip: The Final Portrait." "You are not a celebrity. You are representing the Royal Family." He learned these lessons early, and he even kneeled before his wife during her coronation, demonstrating his supportive role at the televised ceremony.
Read more: The Story Of Queen Elizabeth II And Prince Philip's Relationship
Kate Doesn't Appear To Be Caught Up In Fame
As part of his ego-busting wisdom, Prince Philip advised Catherine, Princess of Wales, to stay grounded by prioritizing personal connections over media attention. Kate has followed his instructions admirably. In 2022, Kate unknowingly passed the ultimate ego test when she had a quiet conversation with a fellow train passenger. The kid didn't know he was talking to a royal, and Kate didn't need to gain attention by touting her status. In a wild twist, she wasn't the only one lacking information. "The Duchess had no idea she was chatting to the son of a journalist so I take this to reflect her character and sense of duty," Matthew Syed, the boy's father, later wrote in The Times. "The monarchy is in consummate hands."
Kate's also demonstrated that she's not caught up in her official title, either. When she was wearing a mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a woman thought the then-duchess was working for William, Prince of Wales. "Well, I'm his assistant! I have been for a long time!" Kate agreed (via Edinburgh Live), enjoying this description of her royal role. With this light-hearted approach, Kate was also following in Queen Elizabeth's footsteps. When she was on her Balmoral estate, the queen met some people who didn't know who she was. True to Queen Elizabeth's surprising sense of humor, she took a picture with them without revealing her identity, anticipating it would be an entertaining experience later.
Read the original article on The List.
