Royal experts have noted the close bond that the late Queen formed with her granddaughter-in-law Princess Kate following her marriage to Prince William in April 2011
The late Queen took Princess Kate under her wing and grew to have a ‘grandmotherly’ relationship with William’s wife, according to a number of royal experts.
Kate joined the Royal Family in 2011 upon her wedding, and she had a huge amount of respect and admiration for the monarch, who she saw as a ‘guide’.
“The Queen grew to trust Kate. I don’t think she really trusted anyone on first impression, we’re all performing the same show, the show is supporting the Queen,” noted the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay while speaking on Channel 5’s Kate & The Queen: A Special Relationship.
“But with Kate and the Queen it grew deeper than that, there was a real grandmotherly affection between the two.”
Ingrid Seward, royal expert and editor of Majesty magazine echoed his comments, adding: “I think the Queen saw her strength and saw that she is a caring person who had this amazing affiliation to duty. I think Kate would have really appreciated the kindness and attention the Queen had given to her, and she knows better than anyone how busy the Queen is. She put time aside to make Kate feel appreciated.”
Royal expert Victoria Murphy added that Kate always described the Queen as “a gentle guidance”. “Right from the beginning, Kate had a lot more in common personality wise with Elizabeth,” she said. “They have something about them which has that inner poise and the capacity to lead and command respect.”.
And India McTaggart, royal correspondent at the Telegraph, added: “Catherine has said the Queen was very supportive of her as she was undertaking her first engagements without William. I think she influenced her by showing her by example.”
Speaking in 2016, Kate herself explained that the Queen was never ‘forceful in her views’ and was instead very reassuring.
“The most memorable engagement for me I suppose was an away day to Leicester and I went without William so I was rather apprehensive about that,” she confessed. “I think there is a real art to walkabouts, everyone teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting so I think I’ve still got to learn a little bit more and pick up a few more tips I suppose.
“She was very supportive. The fact she took the time to make sure that I was happy and looked after for that particular occasion, which probably in everything that she’s doing is a very small element, which just shows how caring she is, really.”
On another occasion, the Princess remarked: “You would expect a lot of grandeur and a lot of fuss, but actually what really resonates with me is her love for the simple things,” she said. “And I think that’s a special quality to have. I can remember being at Sandringham for the first time at Christmas, and I was worried what to give the Queen as her Christmas present.
“I was thinking: ‘Gosh, what should I give her?’ I thought: ‘I’ll make her something’, which could have gone horribly wrong, but I decided to make my granny’s recipe for chutney. I noticed the next day that it was on the table. Such a simple gesture went such a long way for me.”
Following his grandmother’s death, Prince William touched upon her loving and supportive nature. While the world had “lost an extraordinary leader”, he had “lost a grandmother”, he said in a statement.
“I have had the benefit of the Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives.”
William continued: “She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real.”