Princess Kate Had to Be "Convinced" to Take On This Role

Princess Kate wearing an orange coat and green turtleneck turning to the side and smiling — (Image credit: Getty Images)

King Charles announced that Prince William and Princess Kate would be known as the Prince and Princess of Wales shortly after Queen Elizabeth's death in September 2022, but behind the scenes, the future Queen expressed some "reservations" about the title. The upcoming biography William and Catherine, The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story —written by the Mirror's royal editor, Russell Myers—reveals that behind-the-scenes, there was some question as to whether Kate would take on the role at all.

"Courtiers said that while Catherine had a full appreciation of the history associated with the role, she was determined to find her own path," Myers writes in the book, out March 10 (via People).

He adds that Princess Kate "had also privately expressed to William and to Charles her reservations about taking over the title, conscious of the British public’s exceptional feeling for, and connection to, Princess Diana even 25 years after her death."

Princess Kate, Prince William, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry walking in front of a car at Windsor Castle — The Prince and Princess of Wales are pictured with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on September 10, 2022, two days after Queen Elizabeth's death.

Princess Kate wearing a white and silver gown and a tiara — Princess Kate is seen wearing Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara, a favorite of Princess Diana's.

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William and Catherine

Princess Diana was known as the Princess of Wales after her marriage to Prince Charles, and was styled Diana, Princess of Wales after her 1996 divorce. Notably, Queen Camilla did not take on the title after her marriage to Prince Charles in 2005, even though he was the Prince of Wales at the time.

Instead, Camilla went by the Duchess of Cornwall until Queen Elizabeth's 2022 death, echoing the concerns about the Princess of Wales being associated with Diana.

In William and Catherine, Myers reveals that a former senior aide to the Prince and Princess of Wales told him that Kate's struggle "tells you how considered she is."

"She is benevolent with her intentions, but also wishes to carve out her own role for both herself and her family, which in many ways looks very different to how generations of royals have acted in the past," the former palace employee said.

Princess Kate wearing a brown blazer waving to school kids — Princess Kate is pictured at a London school on February 12.

Additionally, William and Kate's ex-aide said that the princess "is very aware the pace that she wants to progress and the way in which she sees her future role within the institution."

The source continued, "and I think when she was convinced to take the title on, and there was a bit of convincing, she felt that while there would be inevitable comparisons with Diana, she could manage it in her own way while having full respect for the way Diana carved out a very different role for herself within the royal family."

The King shared that his son and daughter-in-law would be known as the Prince and Princess of Wales during his first speech as monarch on September 9, 2022.

"Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty," he said. "With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground where vital help can be given."

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.