Kate Middleton And Princess Diana Are More Alike Than We Realized

Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Princess Diana have more in common than their shared royal title — Princess of Wales. For one, they were both hounded by the press. Diana was so popular that the press followed her wherever she went. Her car was speeding away from the paparazzi when it crashed, leading to her death in 1997. A decade later, Kate was hounded by over 50 paparazzi in 2007 amid rumors William, Prince of Wales, would propose to her, prompting the royals to release a statement. "Prince William is very unhappy at the paparazzi harassment of his girlfriend. He wants more than anything for it to stop," his spokesman said (via the Daily Mail).

After Kate married into the royal family, the public only grew more obsessed with her. Diana's brother, Earl Charles Spencer, noticed similarities regarding the "press intrusion" after many people wondered where Kate Middleton was after she went missing from the public spotlight following her planned abdominal surgery in January 2024, spawning many conspiracy theories. Roya Nikkhah, The Sunday Times royal editor, appeared on "Good Morning Britain" and shared that William, Prince of Wales, noticed his wife going through the same experience as his late mom. "Having seen his mother go through quite a lot of that, the hounding of his mother, I think he feels he is seeing elements of that being breached again in terms of the demands and screeches at his wife over her medical privacy and that is hurting him," Nikkhah said (via The New York Post).

From marrying into the royal family to being fashion icons, these two women have a lot of similarities. Here are some of the ways Kate Middleton is like her late mother-in-law. 

Princess Diana and Catherine, Princess of Wales, both came from wealthy families with connections but were not royals themselves before marrying the heir to the British throne.  

Diana was born to an aristocratic family. Her parents, Frances Ruth Shand Kydd (previously Spencer, née Roche) and John Spencer, were wealthy. Part of their money came from sheep farming. Diana earned her title "Lady" in 1975 when her father became the 8th Earl Spencer. Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy, and Ruth Roche, Baroness Fermoy, were Diana's grandparents on her mother's side. Her mom was worth more than her dad.

Kate lived a lavish life before she married William, Prince of Wales, thanks to her parents. Her mom, Carole Middleton, was a flight attendant, and her dad, Michael Middleton, was a flight dispatcher at the British Airways when they met. However, Michael has connections with the British nobility. His paternal grandmother, Olive Middleton, was a descendant of the Lupton family in Yorkshire, which turned out many politicians. Meanwhile, Carole, dubbed "the British Kris Jenner," is a distant relative of the Queen Mother.

Princess Diana worked as a nanny and nursery teacher's assistant before she joined the royal family. She doctored her date of birth when she filled out the form at a nanny agency to appear that she was over 18 in May 1979. She wrote "July 1st, 1960" as her date of birth, but her lie was seemingly exposed because there was a note in the document that read "nearly 18." The interviewer, however, favored Diana because a note on the lower part read, "Lovely girl — send anywhere." The document was reportedly her first work contract and was sold at auction for £7,000.

Like Diana, Kate Middleton had regular jobs before becoming a full-time working royal. She worked for Party Pieces, a company that sells party supplies which her mom, Carole Middleton, founded in 1987 but sold to Teddy Tastic Bear Co. Ltd in May 2023. The business failed after encountering significant losses during the pandemic.

Kate also worked as a part-time assistant buyer at Jigsaw after she graduated from St. Andrews in 2005. Belle Robinson, Jigsaw co-founder, praised Kate's work ethic and how she handled the media. She would reportedly go out to satisfy the paparazzi so they would leave them alone and was very polite. "I think she's been quite good at neither courting the press nor sticking two fingers in the air at them," Belle said, per The Mirror.

Princess Diana and Catherine, Princess of Wales, married the future kings of England when they walked down the aisle. Their wedding ceremonies were extravagant and could be likened to a fairy tale coming true. However, their married lives were another story, as both had to endure cheating rumors. King Charles and Diana had an unhappy marriage and there were rumors he was cheating on her. In 1986, Charles started an affair with his then-ex and now-wife Queen Camilla. "Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," Diana said in her 1995 BBC interview when asked about the breakdown of her marriage.

In 2019, William, Prince of Wales, was romantically linked to Rose Hanbury, Marchioness of Cholmondeley. The affair rumors brought the couple closer together. However, the alleged infidelity resurfaced in March 2024 after Kate wasn't seen for months following her abdominal surgery in January 2024. Hanbury shut down the speculations through her lawyers, saying, "the rumours are completely false," per Business Insider. She also subtly denied it on Instagram by sharing a photo of Houghton Hall, her family residence, where she lives with her husband and three children.

In contrast to Charles and Diana's transactional marriage, William and Kate's union started with friendship before it blossomed into romance. Also, Charles and Diana eventually divorced and he married Camilla. Meanwhile, Kate and William are still together.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, didn't have the chance to meet Princess Diana, who passed away in 1997 when William, Prince of Wales, was only 15. However, the mother- and daughter-in-law share the same sense of fashion. Kate Middleton has honored the late Princess of Wales several times by channeling Diana's iconic style. Diana's fashion choices have endured the test of time. Even Meghan Markle channeled Diana's trendy style.

Elizabeth Holmes, author of "HRH: So Many Thoughts On Royal Style" and fashion veteran, weighed in on why Diana's style survives. "But what Diana did when she came onto the scene in the early eighties [was] she made [royal fashion] exciting," Holmes said, per Fashion Magazine. Diana reportedly made the public care about royal fashion with her wardrobe.

The same can be said of Kate, whose marketing power dubbed the "Kate Effect" has been observed since her engagement to William in 2010. Kate did not just persuade the public to care about her fashion choices; she influenced them to dress like her. Whatever she wears sells out in minutes, making her a royal style icon just like Diana. "She opened our brand up to the international market and gave us great exposure around the globe. She is such an icon and always will be, it's amazing that our small brand can be a part of that," Francesca Kelly and Marianna Doyle, founders of Soru — one of Kate's favorite brands — said (via Woman Magazine).

Like the late Princess Diana, Catherine, Princess of Wales, is sporty and not afraid to show her competitive side. In 1991, Diana competed with other moms at Prince Harry's sports day at Wetherby School in Richmond. She regularly visited the gym near her home in London and was photographed swimming and playing tennis.

In 2017, at an event for Heads Together, Kate Middleton, William, Prince of Wales, and Harry joined the relay race with volunteers training for the 2017 London Marathon. Harry beat his brother and sister-in-law. However, it was a tight competition because all were competitive. William even joked with Kate, telling her, "You nearly beat me!" according to Town & Country.

Kate could be the most athletic royal because she plays hockey, tennis, rugby, soccer, cricket, and more. She can    sail and also used to row when she joined the organization Sisterhood. In 2012, Kate played ping-pong with William and shot hoops while pregnant. In October 2013, nearly three months after giving birth to Prince George, she played volleyball at a London SportsAid Athlete Workshop and made it appear easy while in wedges. "I love the physical challenge sport presents and the mental strength it gives us all. And I love the way it so often brings people together to work as part of a team," she said, according to Kensington Palace.