Prince William & Kate Middleton Are Taking Monarchy in a New Direction

london, england december 04 prince william, duke of cambridge and catherine, duchess of cambridge attend a christmas party for families and children of deployed personnel from raf coningsby and raf marham serving in cyprus, at kensington palace on december 4, 2018 in london, england photo by mark cuthbertuk press via getty images

(Image credit: Mark Cuthbert)

published 9 August 2021

As they take on more responsibility in the royal family, Prince William and Kate Middleton are doing things in a "totally different" way.
"Kate and William are totally different and operate in a totally different way. They're great," longtime royal photographer Kent Gavin said recently. "It's the best thing the Royal Family could have."
Gavin spent years photographing William's late mother, Princess Diana, beginning with her royal wedding to Prince Charles in 1981.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are the "best thing" that's happened to the monarchy in years, according to a longtime royal photographer.

Kent Gavin, who worked as a royal photographer for the Daily Mirror and has spent years photographing several generations of the royal family, is singing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's praises. According to Gavin, Will and Kate are changing the way senior royals operate and share their lives with the public—and that's a very good thing.

"Kate and William are totally different and operate in a totally different way. They're great," he said, according to Express. "It's the best thing the Royal Family could have."

Gavin believes Will and Kate's approach is going to play a role in helping the monarchy adapt to—and thrive in—the modern age. Still, he doesn't think their impact on the public compares to that of Will's late mother, Princess Diana. To be fair though, Gavin doesn't think anyone can compare to the People's Princess.

"There will never be another Diana," he said.

The photographer got to witness a lot of Diana's impact firsthand. According to Express, he photographed her royal wedding to Prince Charles and then continued to cover her closely, traveling around the world to photograph her on royal tours and even snapping pictures at William's christening at the request of Diana herself.

Gavin also briefly weighed in on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal exit, saying that Diana had "gone through similar things" during her time as a royal and would have supported her son.

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.