As wife to the future King, Princess Kate is carving out an important career within the Royal Family. However, being a royal woman is no easy task, with press scrutiny and public opinion weighing heavily on the princess.
Author Catherine Mayer recently released her latest book, Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles, which explores the ways in which Princess Kate, Meghan Markle, Queen Camilla, Princess Diana, and Queen Elizabeth have been treated by the general public and the press.
Discussing how the Princess of Wales navigates her prominent royal role, Mayer exclusively tells Marie Claire in a new interview, "She is human and the projection on to her of perfection adds to the burdens she already carries as one of the most famous women in the world."
Mayer continues, "And that scrutiny is worse for royal women because it is their job to be seen."
By necessity, for the British Royal Family to survive, new people need to join it, despite the obvious downsides to taking on such a role.
As Mayer tells Marie Claire, "Not only that, but the only way the monarchy continues to exist or recruits new members is through marriage and reproduction. That appears to legitimize a closer interest in their love lives and bodies than other famous women endure. And such scrutiny is always worse for famous women than famous men."
In spite of the obvious difficulties associated with being a female member of the Royal Family, Princess Kate appears to be embracing the role, while firmly focusing on the future.
Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles by Catherine Mayer is available now.
