Prince William and Kate have experienced somewhat of a whirlwind month characterised by immense grief, unprecedented change and new family milestones.
Following the late monarch’s death on 8 September, the royal couple inherited new princely titles via the head of state King Charles III. Formerly known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Kate and William’s new official titles are the Prince and Princess of Wales. As expected, these senior titles encompass a host of new responsibilities and royal duties. We are excited to see Princess Kate and Prince William step up to their new roles. Here at HELLO! we take a deep dive into Princess Kate’s new responsibilities and what we can expect to see from her over the coming months…
Kate’s new title
Following Charles’ first televised speech, the Queen’s grandson, Prince William, 40, and his wife Kate, 40, gained new elevated titles as the Prince and Princess of Wales. Confirming their titles, the new monarch said: “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.
“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 centre ground where vital help can be given.” Kate’s new title is particularly poignant given that it was last used by her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. While the title is traditionally passed down to the heir apparent and their partner, Queen Consort Camilla chose to be known as the Duchess of Cornwall when she married the Prince of Wales in 2005.
Camilla opted for the lesser-known title out of respect for the ‘people’s princess’ who arguably became synonymous with her royal title. The new Princess of Wales reacted to her royal title, saying she “appreciates the history associated with this role”. Indeed, Catherine described Diana as “an inspirational woman to look up to” following her engagement to Prince William in 2010.
Her new role explained
As the heir apparent, Prince William and his wife have naturally inherited a host of significant responsibilities in line with their new royal titles. Aside from upcoming international tours, Kate is expected to partake in an increasing number of royal engagements and walkabouts. HELLO!’s Royal Editor Emily Nash said: “Kate has taken on her most senior role to date… She’ll continue to champion mental health and the importance of the Early Years as she has done for a long time, and she’ll continue to represent the monarchy and the UK on overseas visits.”
In the wake of Her Majesty’s death, a grief-stricken Princess Kate made a special trip to Windsor to thank volunteers and operational staff involved in the late Queen’s committal service. Last month, the Prince and Princess of Wales made their first official engagement in Wales following the late monarch’s state funeral on 19 September. Returning to their roots, the duo kicked off their Welsh tour in Holyhead, where they visited the local RNLI Lifeboat Station to m.eet with crew and volunteers.
Reminiscing about life in Anglesey, William said: “It’s good to be back, it really is. It feels like going back in time, seeing where we all started to be a family unit.” Reflecting on their recent Welsh tour, Emily Nash said: “They want to develop their relationship with the people of Wales so I’d expect to see them returning there regularly as they take on the titles.” Last Thursday, the royal took fans by storm with a surprise visit to meet the Royal Navy Ship’s Company of HMS Glasgow.
Striking a balance
Since receiving her new title, Princess Kate has been working hard to maintain a sense of normality at home. Over the past few months, the royal has had a huge amount to juggle, including a major house move and a brand-new school for Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four. The young royals recently joined Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire. While their new school will be near to their Windsor home, Lambrook will be a change from what they are used to at St Thomas’ Battersea where Prince George and Princess Charlotte used to go to school.
Above all, the Cambridge children will need to adjust to the school’s hectic schedule. Unlike their London prep school, Lambrook, runs classes both during the week and on Saturdays too! Beyond this, Lambrook has a total of 178 LAMDA lessons on offer each week along with 420 individual music lessons, from tap dancing to bagpipe playing. Although these extra activities will provide Kate with more time to focus on public work, our editor Emily Nash said: “They are both going to be closely involved with the children’s school life and wherever possible, they do the school run and put their children to bed – often timing their engagements around that routine.”
The couple are known for their hands-on approach to parenting. And most recently, their two eldest children were praised for their “immaculate” behaviour and impressive following of royal protocol at their great-grandmother the Queen’s funeral.
Relocating to Windsor
William and Kate relocated to Windsor in early September, moving out of their Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace. Their new 19th Century residence, Adelaide Cottage, is a four-bedroom Grade II listed home which belongs to the Crown Estate. It’s thought that the family settled on Adelaide Cottage in a bid to be closer to Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, who live in Bucklebury.
There is also the question of privacy. Emily Nash reported: “The Prince and Princess were keen to move to Windsor to give their children more freedom and privacy than might have been possible at Kensington Palace. “We know how much she values spending time outdoors and they now have plenty of space on the Windsor Estate to get outside.” As the Prince and Princess of Wales become even more prominent in the royal family, they will continue to spend a lot of time in their office back in London. Their Berkshire residence therefore offers them the best of both worlds.
Diana’s legacy
In light of Princess Kate’s new royal title, many royal fans have been quick to make direct comparisons between Kate and Diana. Emily Nash said: “It’s easy to make comparisons between Kate and Diana and there are similarities – they both have a natural affinity with children, for example.
“But while I think Kate is very mindful of the history of her new role and the responsibility it brings, she will want to forge her own path.” Musing on her long-term goals, Emily added: “She tends to take a long-term approach to her work and thinks about how what she does now will make an impact in future, as we’ve seen from her work on Early Years – she wants to change society for the better in the long term.”
