By Marisa Laudadio
8:12pm PST, Mar 2, 2026
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Taking on one of the most iconic roles in royal history wasn't something
Kate Middleton embraced lightly. Behind the scenes, she had some concerns about using a title forever associated with the late
Princess Diana.
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After
Queen Elizabeth II's death in 2022,
King Charles III announced in his first speech as monarch that son
Prince William and Kate Middleton — who had been known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for more than a decade — were now the Prince and Princess of Wales. But according to a new biography, the transition to the traditional titles for the heir to the throne and his wife wasn't entirely straightforward for Kate.
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In the new book
William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, author
Russell Myers explains that Kate Middleton was mindful of the weight of the Princess of Wales title, which was last used by
Prince William's late mother, Princess Diana. "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, as reported by the U.K.'s
Daily Express.
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On top of that, Kate Middleton was wary of how the public might react to her being the Princess of Wales. "Catherine had also privately expressed to [Prince] William and to [King Charles III] 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," author Russell Myers writes in his new royal biography.
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According to royal biographer Russell Myers, Kate Middleton's concerns were rooted in the inevitable comparisons to Princess Diana. Ultimately, however, Kate felt confident forging her own way. "She is very aware the pace that she wants to progress and the way in which she sees her future role within the institution, 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," a former senior palace aide told Myers.
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It's notable that Queen Camilla did not use the Princess of Wales title after marrying King Charles III when he was still the Prince of Wales. Instead, she used one of her husband's secondary titles and was known as the Duchess of Cornwall until she became his queen consort. This decision was a strategic move to avoid backlash, considering the global public's deep and lasting affection for the late Princess Diana — and given Camilla's role in the breakdown of Charles' first marriage.
