How Each Member Of The British Royal Family Feels About Kate Middleton

Princess Catherine and Prince William are the ultimate power couple. They are the future king and queen of England, and the faces of the modern monarchy after Queen Elizabeth II's heartbreaking death. Royal pundits, experts, and the media have dissected Catherine and William's relationship a million times over. While Catherine has handled public backlash with the grace of a true queen, it's safe to say it's easier to calmly handle outside scrutiny than to face that of the family into which you married. As much as most people love the Princess of Wales, she didn't necessarily have an easy time stepping into the royal fold.

Catherine came from a middle-class family. When news got out that she was dating William, the press dug into her life, and she had to weather derogatory stories (and scrutiny from William's friends) about her mother's former job as a flight attendant and the fact that her ancestors were coal miners. In other words, the media appeared to try and convince the public that William could do much better. Despite all the tumult, the couple tied the knot in 2011 and have since proven that they are the perfect pairing.

While it was expected that outsiders would be skeptical of Catherine, it's since been revealed that even certain royal family members had their reservations about her joining their ranks and becoming the future queen. Even more interestingly, it's rumored that a certain member never quite developed a liking for her. If you're wondering which members were that snobbish (and who adored her from the start), read on for all the (royal) tea.

Word is that King Charles III and Princess Catherine get on swimmingly, but the monarch reportedly didn't feel all that warm and fuzzy toward his daughter-in-law when Prince William proposed to her. He was reportedly irked that his son used the ring he gave to Princess Diana to propose. Robert Jobson made this claim in his book "The Windsor Legacy" (via Marie Claire), alleging, "Privately, Charles was surprised, even 'a little irritated.'" But Jobson added that he got over it soon enough and was full of wisecracks when the media cornered him about the big news. "When asked by the press, Charles joked that the pair had been practicing long enough," Jobson wrote.

Catherine and Charles' relationship has continued to grow over the years, with body language expert Judi James telling Express in 2022 that the two "have a rather special relationship," adding, "Their body language together suggests they are tuned in to each other, using flattery and mirroring signals to show some like-minded thinking or appreciation of a joke." Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith went as far as to tell People that Catherine "is like the daughter he [Charles] never had," adding that the two being diagnosed with cancer around the same time in 2024 was bound to have brought them even closer as they navigated the difficult time together.

Indeed, during a 2023 visit to Kenya, Charles' speech during a state banquet in Nairobi gave an affectionate nod to Catherine. "It was here, in sight of Mount Kenya, that my son, The Prince of Wales, proposed to his wife, now my beloved daughter-in-law," he enthused, per Cosmopolitan.

Camilla, Queen Consort, reportedly wasn't all that fond of Princess Catherine initially and deemed her unfit to be the future queen of England. "In the beginning, Camilla was one of Kate's fiercest critics," royal biographer Christopher Andersen told Fox News in 2026. "She did not think she was up to snuff, as it were. She was below the salt. She had no aristocratic blood." He continued, "The palace didn't really want her. People like Camilla didn't want her because they felt that she was too common to be the wife of a future king." In fact, rumor has it that Camilla played a large part in William and Catherine's 2007 split. Alas, her efforts were in vain. The two still ended up marrying, and Camilla eventually warmed to Catherine.

Royal expert Andrew Lownie told the Daily Mail that Camilla and Catherine grew closer after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's abrupt exit from the U.K. With the Sussexes' return to the country in August 2026, Lownie claimed that Camilla is backing Catherine and Prince William all the way. "On Team Wales is the Queen, who is very close to Kate, and has been stiffening the resolve of the King to establish clear boundaries for the Sussexes," Lownie asserted. She has also reportedly forged a close relationship with Catherine's family over the years, despite initially deeming them unworthy of the royal family.

Body language expert Judi James also weighed in, telling the Daily Mail that during the 2025 Remembrance Sunday proceedings, Catherine and Camilla's close bond was on full display. "There was an exchange of what looked like warm chat between the present and future queens here, with Camilla's rather playful smile and side-eye appearing to make Kate beam back down at her," James said.

Prince Harry's departure from the royal family was certainly heartbreaking, but what made it even more so wasn't just his feud with Prince William; it was the breakdown of his once-close relationship with Princess Catherine. Harry and Catherine used to make frequent public appearances together alongside William, and royal fans adored the threesome, affectionately referring to them as the "Fab Three." Royal biographers have noted that Catherine was much more than William's partner to Harry — she became the female caretaker and friend he never had after his mother, Princess Diana, died.

Harry loved Catherine; that was clear from his memoir, "Spare," even though he also put her in a bad light with some of the stories he included in the book. However, the prince mostly looked back on his relationship with the future queen affectionately. "I loved my new sister-in-law, I felt she was more sister than in-law, the sister I'd never had and always wanted, and I was pleased that she'd forever be standing by Willy's side," he penned (via Hello!). "She was a good match for my older brother. They made each other visibly happy, and therefore I was happy too."

Harry also claimed that the unfortunate incident in 2005 where he wore a Nazi costume to a party was William and Catherine's idea. To make matters worse, he also alleged that Catherine was hesitant to share her lip gloss with his wife, Meghan Markle, at an event, and that she drove Meghan to tears ahead of their wedding day. This put the Princess of Wales in an incredibly bad light. It might be safe to say that Harry's feelings about Catherine are mixed at best.

What's life without a royal disagreement every now and then? It's impossible for family members to be on the same page about everything all the time, and rumor has it that Princess Anne doesn't always agree with the way Princess Catherine does things. But that doesn't mean they can't stand each other.

Princess Anne still likes to kick it old school when it comes to royal walkabouts. She wants to look people in the eye, have a quick chat, and move on — no pictures, no arduous handshaking, and no unnecessary lingering. Catherine does the complete opposite. She's been known to shake hands with royal fans and even pose for the occasional selfie. Anne is not a fan of this. "The theory was that you couldn't shake hands with everybody, so don't start. So I kind of stick with that, but I notice others don't," she said during the "Queen of the World" documentary in 2018, per Hello! She was, of course, referring to Catherine and other younger royals.

Anne has, however, expressed sympathy for Catherine for having to deal with being a senior royal in the age of social media in the "Anne: The Princess Royal at 70" documentary. "There was no social media in my day, and it's probably made it more difficult," Anne conceded, per the Mirror. Despite not necessarily agreeing with how Catherine does things, the two women have shared affectionate moments in public, most notably during the 2026 Commonwealth Day service. An attempt to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek turned into a moment of laughter as both royals realized their hats were in the way. Clearly, there's no beef there.

If rumors are to be believed, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has never had much affection for Princess Catherine. Daily Mail reporter Richard Kay penned a 2024 column claiming that Andrew was incredibly cold toward Catherine when she first joined the royal family and made her feel unwelcome. Many royal experts have since supported this claim. Royal biographer Andrew Lownie told People that the disgraced former prince "wasn't nice when Kate came into the family. He thought she wasn't posh enough." Lownie added in a later interview with the publication, "Status is everything to him — it's his only sense of identity."

Royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News in 2025 that Andrew made "disparaging remarks" about Catherine, which angered William. Lownie also weighed in, "He was probably rude because he's a real snob." Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told the outlet that Andrew resented Catherine because she got to be in the spotlight while he believed his two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, deserved it more. "When Kate came along in the arms of William and was protected by the other royals, it was like a red flag to a bull," Turner surmised.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, didn't initially feel loved by Princess Catherine when the latter first joined the royal family. See, Catherine and Prince William invited Andrew and his and Ferguson's two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to their wedding in 2011. But Ferguson didn't receive an invitation. She admitted that the snub stung during a 2011 interview with Oprah Winfrey. "I was not invited, and I chose to go and be in Thailand in a place called Camelia and...the jungle embraced me," Ferguson said, per Express. "It was so difficult. I wanted to be there with my girls, and to be getting them dressed and to go as a family." She acknowledged that the snub led her to feel "worthless."

Catherine and Ferguson reportedly grew closer after the Princess of Wales was diagnosed with cancer in 2024. The former Duchess of York knew what Catherine was going through, having been diagnosed with both breast and skin cancer. Ferguson publicly offered her support after Catherine announced her diagnosis to the public, penning on Instagram, "I am full of admiration for the way she has spoken publicly about her diagnosis and know it will do a tremendous amount of good to raise awareness." Ferguson echoed these sentiments during an interview on "This Morning," proclaiming what Catherine did as "extraordinary" and a great example of how important it is to put your health before public opinion, per People. In an interview with Hello! Ferguson called Catherine "brave" for filming the emotional video announcement.

It's unclear exactly how Ferguson feels about Catherine after her exile from the royal family following the exposé of her friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The two women haven't been seen together since.

While his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, couldn't stand Princess Catherine, Prince Edward has seemingly been fond of her from the beginning. In a 2012 interview, he praised Catherine's ability to seamlessly integrate with the royal family after marrying Prince William. "She has taken to royal life like a duck to water," Edward enthused, per Express. "She's very gracious and the family is very proud of her." He also noted that marrying into the family is challenging because of all the media and public attention, but praised Catherine's ability to do it with grace. "I think Catherine can only grow in confidence now her first official engagements are out of the way," he predicted. Oh, how right he was!

Royal expert Jennie Bond told OK! that, after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's move to the U.S. and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's exile from royal life, Edward and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, have grown increasingly close to Catherine and William. Edward is said to have become someone the Princess of Wales can trust because she knows what she tells him will remain confidential.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, might be much older than Princess Catherine, but the two are reportedly very close. Royal expert Jennie Bond told OK! that the women have a relationship built on mutual trust and respect. "Sophie, in particular, is a wonderfully empathetic woman," Bond told the outlet. "The late queen regarded her as another daughter." Over the years, Catherine and Sophie grew close, especially with all the royal family drama surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. "Sophie and Catherine have developed a friendship [which] I think both value highly," Bond said, adding that part of Sophie's special connection with Catherine can be attributed to the fact that neither lived royal lives before marrying into the family.

Royal author Ingrid Seward echoed these sentiments during an interview with Hello!, noting that Catherine and Sophie share similar personalities, and that Sophie understands Catherine's desire to put her family first and protect her young children from the glaring spotlight. "They have a sisterly bond and Sophie is like the older sister Kate never had," Seward claimed. The author added that the duchess is also familiar with health scares, having had some serious complications when she gave birth, and therefore could understand quite well what Catherine was going through with her cancer diagnosis. "She [Sophie] nearly died when her daughter Louise was born. She has been there in the background, as part of a private support network," Seward claimed.

Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, might not be a working member of the royal family, but she still has a soft spot for Princess Catherine. In a 2011 interview with The Sunday People (via Hello!), she opened up about how she felt about Catherine joining the family. "I know my grandmother and grandfather are very fond of her," Tindall shared. She also expressed how happy she was to see public support for Catherine and Prince William's relationship. "It was great to see, I just hope it carries on. We all think Kate's perfect for William," she said, adding, "Kate is lovely and I'm sure she'll handle everything just fine."

The two royals have continued to be friendly, with body language expert Alison Ward telling Express that the women are incredibly close. "Their body language shows mutual respect and love," Ward reasoned. "I would go as far as to say there is a soul connection here as their acceptance and natural gaiety and joy at greeting each other is evident, engaging and really lovely to watch; the meeting of soul sisters for sure."

Tindall is very close to William, which is likely part of the reason she adores Catherine. She can also relate to some of Catherine's struggles, given that they have children of a similar age. Catherine opened up about experiencing mom guilt during an interview once, and Tindall did the same, explaining that she dealt with the same feeling whenever she had to be away from home because of her equestrian career. Clearly, she and Catherine continue to have plenty in common, despite her royal status.

Zara Tindall's brother, Peter Phillips, is rarely heard of since he's also not a working royal. However, after Princess Catherine announced her cancer diagnosis to the public, Phillips took a moment to speak to Sky News about his cousin-in-law. He described Catherine as "remarkable in herself" for the way she was handling the whole media storm and the news of her diagnosis. "Her and William make a fantastic team together," Phillips continued, praising Catherine and Prince William for being incredible parents who have made their three children their priority while also managing to fulfill their royal duties. "I think they've got it pretty right," Phillips said. "I think that balance of doing the family life and also the public life, I think that they've pretty much got that bang on."

Given how much Phillips admires both Catherine and William, it came as no surprise when the couple received an invitation to his 2026 wedding to Harriet Sperling. It was Phillips' second time tying the knot after divorcing his first wife, Autumn Kelly. Catherine also had a run-in with her college boyfriend, Rupert Finch, at Phillips' nuptials, but this wasn't nearly as awkward as it sounds — she actually invited him to her and William's wedding in 2011. Clearly, Catherine is good at maintaining relationships — it's no wonder most members of the royal family adore her.