Princess Kate Taking the Spotlight \201cDelights\201d Prince William—But One Thing Bothers Him, Apparently

(Image credit: Getty)

published 27 May 2023

The Princess of Wales is a standout—if not the standout—in the modern royal family, a fact that apparently delights her husband, the Prince of Wales. (As it should any loving husband.) But there’s one thing about her popularity that bothers him, according to a royal expert (and per The Mirror).

“During William’s parents’ ill-fated marriage, King Charles is said to have grown increasingly jealous of Princess Diana’s massive popularity,” the outlet reports. “In the early days of their union, Charles would often be overshadowed by his wife, with crowds shouting to talk to Diana instead of the future king—leaving him reportedly ‘frustrated.’”

Royal expert Roya Nikkhah says there is a “striking difference” between Charles and Diana and William and Kate when it comes to the women’s popularity: “Charles was always very upset when Diana had eclipsed him, which was all the time,” she told True Royalty TV’s “The Royal Beat.” “William is delighted by the fact that people warm to Catherine. William is comfortable with that. I have heard him talk about Catherine’s work and how excited he is about it, and he loves that she is getting traction.”

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There is one annoyance though—“The only thing I know that does slightly bother him is when he is cropped out of photos,” Nikkhah said. “You will find very often they will do a joint engagement and the front page of the news the next day, it is as if William was never there!”

Hannah Fernando, editor of Woman and Woman and Home magazines, said “These two seem very much a team. Catherine has no wish to eclipse him. She is coming into her own because she is actually brilliant. She has taken on this life, opened her arms to it, and learned along the way what she needs to do. I think he is delighted by that, and I don’t think he is worried about her eclipsing him.”

What about the King? How does he feel about Kate’s superstardom? “Whilst it is Charles’ head that wears the Crown, it is William, Catherine, and their children that will steal the limelight,” royal expert Robert Jobson writes for MailOnline. “They are bound to. And it is right. This time, it will be with Charles’ blessing—for he knows for the monarchy to survive, it must be relevant to the younger generation.”

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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.