The Princess of Wales has only given a few interviews in her time, but she wasn’t about to miss out on the opportunity to reveal her admiration for Queen Elizabeth in 2016. In honour of the late monarch’s 90th birthday, Kate shared some touching anecdotes about her grandmother-in-law in ITV’s documentary, Our Queen at Ninety.
She wasn’t the only royal to appear in the film, though her comments about her experience adjusting to royal life are unique. The Princess reflected at the time that "everyone" in the family used to tease her for a habit she had at walkabouts.
"The most memorable engagement for me, I suppose, was an away day to Leicester and I went without William, so I was rather apprehensive about that," she said, adding, "I think there is a real art to walkabouts, everyone teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting."
Walkabouts are a key part of many engagements and allow royals like the Princess of Wales to meet and engage with the public. Given the number of people that often turn out hoping to see a member of the Royal Family, it’s impossible to chat to everyone - though it sounds like Kate used to give it a good go!
The royals’ schedules are tight and learning when and how to graciously move on from one person to another is a skill the future Queen needed to master. She explained that she thought she’d "still got to learn a little bit more" and "pick up a few more tips".
Almost ten years later, I suspect that Kate has picked up a huge amount of tips from her fellow royals. She’s no doubt got used to being speedier with her walkabouts, but seeing the Princess at engagements, it’s clear that her charisma and love of chatting to people have gone nowhere.
She always looks delighted whenever she interacts with the public and particularly when she meets children - not surprising given her interest in Early Years development. In the 2016 documentary, Kate explained that Queen Elizabeth made sure she was "looked after" on that day in Leicester, despite her nerves.
She said, "The fact she took the time to make sure that I was happy and looked after for that particular occasion, which probably in everything that she's doing is a very small element, which just shows how caring she is, really."
As a role model for how to navigate royal life, it doesn’t come much more experienced or inspiring than Queen Elizabeth. Former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond previously suggested to OK! that the Princess "will draw" from her example when she’s Queen Consort.
She thinks Kate is "very much her own woman", but "would be crazy to ignore the example of a Queen who was so accomplished, so wise and experienced".
Jennie added: "When her time as Queen comes, I imagine she will draw from the late Queen’s dignity, discretion and dedication, but add her own mix of informality when appropriate, for example, by joining in with sports, sitting on the floor with children or going down a slide."
In her mind, the Princess of Wales has "already shown" how relatable she is and is "perfectly aware of what a ‘normal’ life is like" thanks to her non-royal upbringing. This could reportedly "stand her in good stead" when she becomes Queen Consort.
