Royal Biographer Says Princess Kate Has Avoided One of the Great “Tragedies of Diana's Story” In Her Own Royal Life
Ingrid Seward says the future Queen Catherine has one advantage that Diana never did.
Princess Diana never got to meet Prince William or Prince Harry's wives, but according to Majesty magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward, the current Princess of Wales has one major advantage to help her in royal career.
Speaking to Hello! magazine for a live episode of its “A Right Royal Podcast,” Seward said that the difference between the two royal women comes down to support.
“It's one of the tragedies of Diana's story that she was adored by millions, yet emotionally denied by the few who mattered most,” the Catherine and Diana author said. “And that is where the contrast with Catherine is most striking.”
Princess Diana is pictured in January 1997.
The Princess of Wales, who announced she was in remission from cancer in January 2025, has experienced her own struggles, but at the end of the day, her family is beside her.
“Her life is not perfect, but it is rooted in a shared understanding with William, her husband, Diana's son,” Seward said. “They face the institution together. Diana faced it alone.”
Reflecting on Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, along with her sister, Pippa, and brother, James, Seward said that the princess has “something that Diana didn't have: an incredibly close-knit family, and a very ambitious mother.”
Prince William and Princess Kate are pictured at the Digger premiere on September 22.
Seward pointed out that the Princess of Wales likely looks to her late mother-in-law’s mistakes when considering her approach to royal life.
“Catherine took lessons from Diana,” the royal commentator said. “She saw that Diana gave so much of herself to people, but it exposed her too much. Catherine learned from that: just give enough, but don't give too much, because you're too vulnerable that way, and people are going to strip you bare if you do that."
