The Princess of Wales Opens Up About How She Never Expected to Be Royal, But Then She Fell in Love

The Princess of Wales at an engagement in Bristol

(Image credit: Getty)

published 17 May 2023

The Princess of Wales—donning a bright yellow LK Bennett jacket—answered questions from students at St. Katherine’s School in Bristol about her life: the struggle of learning to be a royal, the challenge of raising children with different personalities, and how she never considered the thought of becoming a royal until she fell in love with a schoolmate at the University of St. Andrews (of course, Prince William).

“They were just asking her about being a royal,” said Dame Kelly Holmes, who was also at the visit, per The Daily Mail. “Was it something that she wanted to do? And she said she had to learn. It’s a struggle to know that you can be accepted and fit in, and you are still learning every day.”

Kate often appears perfect, but she shared her vulnerabilities with the crowd: “Doing public speaking isn’t a natural thing for lots of people, is it?” Holmes said. “And she was saying she is still working that out but has to project. So, you know, again, she humanized everything. Not everyone is perfect.”

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Holmes said she and Kate got along well: “She was lovely,” Holmes said. “She said ‘Ask me questions as well.' I asked her, I said 'You’ve got three children, and do you see different traits in them?’ She said, ‘Oh yes,’ and she said that’s the thing. It’s like learning how to handle the different traits and different needs and abilities even with three young children shows her the need to do it with masses of children.”

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.