Upon her induction into the Royal Family, Kate Middleton refused to simply conform to tradition; instead, she established her own conditions. In early 2015, Prince William conveyed her ‘terms’ to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, as revealed by Palace insiders.
The public witnessed the announcement of Kate and William’s engagement in 2010, accompanied by the romantic story of William’s proposal in Kenya, using his mother Diana’s ring.During an ITV interview, he expressed, “my way of keeping [my mother] sort of close to it all”.
On 29 April 2011, Kate’s life underwent a significant transformation in Westminster Abbey, London, England. Becoming a member of the Royal Family entailed not only a title but also a substantial set of Royal responsibilities.
However, Kate was determined to establish boundaries before fully embracing her Royal role. In his book ‘Catherine, the Princess of Wales: The Biography’, Royal author Robert Jobson discloses that Kate set key conditions prior to her Royal journey.
According to Jobson in MailOnline, “Before joining ‘the Firm’, she wisely established some fundamental rules. She wouldn’t be pigeon-holed into carrying out particular duties and insisted on eventually having her full quota of maternity leave, away from the glare of the media and public.”
Mr Jobson says that Kate Middleton made it clear to the senior royals that her primary goal was to achieve a balance between carrying out Royal duties and maintaining a happy family life.
“This didn’t mean that she wouldn’t carry out royal duties; far from it,” he clarified. “But she wanted to offer her patronage only to charities close to her interests and delve into their purpose with in-depth study.”
In early 2015, while expecting Princess Charlotte, Prince William presented a set of ‘terms’ to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles on behalf of his wife, Kate. He expressed her wish for additional space to develop into her role and the necessity for more time to acclimate to the complexities of Royal life.
Since then, Kate has not only carried out her duties as a senior Royal but has also been a committed full-time mother to her three children. She is recognised for her role as a mediator between her husband and King Charles, greatly enhancing their relationship through her subtle interventions.