Princess Kate has gone from a shy young woman to a confident future Queen according to one royal expert, who has said the Princess of Wales is the “strength” of the Royal Family.
A recent poll by Redfield & Wilton for Newsweek has shown that Kate is America’s most loved royal, with a net approval rating of +35, putting her further ahead of both her husband Prince William, whose approval rating was +22 and brother-in-law Prince Harry, whose approval rating was +24.
The Princess of Wales has also proven to be very popular in Britain, as YouGov has suggested that Kate is one of the most popular members of the Royal Family, with 70 percent of respondents having a positive view of her.
According to the same poll, the other highest-rated royals were Prince William at 72 percent, and Princess Anne, who had the same rating as Kate.
One royal expert said that Kate has earned the respect of the public by wielding a “soft power” within the Royal Family, and compared the Princess to another historic Queen.
Jennie Bond, the former royal correspondent for the BBC, has recently told OK! Magazine that Kate shows a lot of the same qualities as Queen Mother Elizabeth, who was the grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II and great-grandmother of Prince William.
Jennie explained: “People always used to describe the Queen Mother as ‘steel in a velvet glove’. She was always charming, gentle, and much admired.
“But, she was also the strength behind her husband, George Vl, and at the Palace, her opinion counted. I think Kate has some of those same qualities.
“She has learned the craft of being royal over a number of years and earned her place as a senior member of the family. Gradually, she has also earned the respect of the public and, I believe, of the rest of the family. We look at her now not just as William’s wife, but as our future Queen.”
Another reason for Kate’s popularity is that people may be able to relate to her more, as she is one of the few royals who comes from a non-aristocratic background. The Princess is often seen wearing high-street brands such as Zara, while also seen doing everyday activities like picking her children up from school or grocery shopping with them.
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the former private secretary of both Kate and Willian, has said the Princess’ background gives her the experience to lead a modern monarchy.
In an interview with People Magazine, Jamie explained: “[William] has the experience of knowing where the institution sits and seeing it evolve…[Kate] brings this pragmatic awareness of what it’s like to be from a decent, down-to-earth family.”
He added: “Thank God they’ve got each other and the training that they’ve had. They have had a solid bond through these last 10 years. If you had scoured the realm you couldn’t have got a better pair, frankly.”
