A brand new joint biography of the Prince and Princess of Wales by Mirror royal editor Russell Myers provides incredible insight into the late Queen’s relationship with Princess Kate
Joining the Royal Family is no mean feat, but the late Queen tried her best to make sure Princess Kate was prepared. The relationship between Kate and Prince William in many ways followed the trajectory of love stories up and down the country, with the pair meeting as students at the University of St. Andrew’s, forming a friendship, before eventually falling in love.
However, the pair faced intense scrutiny from the moment their relationship became public – and to this day exist under an incredibly bright spotlight. The couple have had their ups and downs, including a brief split back in 2007, caused by Kate laying down the law with William and demanding that they either settle into their commitment to each other, or call it a day.
When William proposed to Kate in 2010, it marked that she would officially be joining the House of Windsor, in the high-profile role of future Queen, and preparations got under way for their lavish royal wedding. A new royal book by Mirror royal editor Russell Myers – William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story – provides exclusive new insight into the ways in which the late Queen Elizabeth gently ensured that Kate was ready for the big day – and beyond.
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The Queen, who had provided steady support to William when he was “broken” by his breakup with Kate back in 2007, Myers reveals, also took the time to make sure that Kate’s head was on straight before the high-profile wedding. The author reveals in his new book – the first joint biography about the Prince and Princess of Wales published in more than a decade – that in December 2010, the late monarch arranged for Kate to come and visit her for tea at Buckingham Palace where she dispensed some much needed advice about what royal life might entail.
“Although billed as an informal catch-up, it was the first time Catherine had met the monarch on her own and she was understandably nervous. Even though Catherine had by now met the Queen on several occasions, she sought advice from aides on what to wear and say during the meeting,” Myers exclusively explains. “In the car on the way over to Buckingham Palace, she adjusted her hair and touched up her makeup before being met by the Queen’s private secretary and taken to a room where afternoon tea had been laid out.”
Whilst enjoying a “light buffet of tea and finger sandwiches, the Queen eschewed questions about the finer details of the production and instead looked to comfort the young woman she hoped would successfully shape the institution for the next generation. According to one former courtier, the Queen offered words of encouragement to Catherine regarding her future role as a senior member of the family, as well as guidance in how to deal with ‘headstrong’ husbands.”
The late Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, was certainly known to be “headstrong” and did not suffer fools easily – and William for his part is widely said to be determined to do things his own way, and doesn’t always follow instructions that clash with his own wishes.
The new biography, which is being serialised in the Mirror, provides exclusive, never-before-seen context to the major stories that have surrounded the Royal Family over the last few years – and the early days of William and Kate’s relationship.
From the controversies surrounding Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, that continue to plague the Royal Family, to Harry and Meghan’s shock royal exit back in 2020 – Myers leaves no stone unturned.
The book, which uses exclusive access to senior palace sources and insiders close to the future King and Queen doesn’t just explore the public side of things, also providing a deep dive into those personal challenges that the couple have gone through behind closed doors, including Kate’s cancer treatment, shedding new light on the notoriously private Wales family, and how they handled the turbulent period.
Russell Myers said: “The diagnoses of the Princess of Wales and the King within days of one another created the most unprecedented period in modern royal history. This book delves into the deeply personal experience of both Prince William and the princess, that has seen them face adversity and come out stronger, emboldening their vision of how they want to shape the monarchy in the future.”
William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, published on 26 February by Ebury, Penguin Random House, is available to pre-order now.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
