Princess Kate Considered Refusing the Same Royal Title as the Late Princess Diana to Avoid Any “Stressful” Comparisons
"It got to the point where she felt she might follow Camilla."


Kate Middleton was reportedly nervous and even apprehensive about eventually inheriting the late Princess Diana's royal title, to the point that she almost considered refusing it entirely.
"She knew she'd inevitably be compared with Diana, whose untimely death had provoked such a tsunami of anger and grief. And she was right," Robert Jobson's writes in his new book Catherine, The Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen, and in an excerpt published in the Daily Mail.
"Kate found all such talk stressful," the passage continues. "Indeed, it got to the point where she felt she might follow Camilla (who opted to become Duchess of Cornwall) in refusing— when the time came—to be known as HRH Princess of Wales."
Obviously, Princess Kate did decide to take on the late Princess Diana's title in 2022, when King Charles acceded to the throne after Queen Elizabeth's passing.
Kate Middleton and Princess Diana.
According to Jobson, Kate Middleton "accepted her promotion with good grace, out of respect for her husband and the King."
"Enough time had passed to make the title more palatable, and Catherine had been on the world stage long enough to be appreciated for her own qualities," the author added.
The stress any future Princess of Wales would feel walking in Princess Diana's footsteps was not lost on Prince William. In a 2010 interview after the Prince William and Princess Kate got engaged, the future king said that Middleton should not feel pressured to be the "next Diana," People reported at the time.
"No one is trying to fill my mother's shoes," Prince William said. "It's about carving your own future and your own destiny, and Kate will do a very good job at that."
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)
A photo posted by on
Earlier this year, while speaking at the Diana Legacy Awards in London, Prince William discussed his mother's legacy...one that the current Prince and Princess of Wales are dedicated to honoring.
“She taught me that everyone has the potential to give something back, that everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life," Prince William said at the time. "That legacy is something that both Catherine and I have sought to focus on through our work, as have the 50,000 young people who have received a Diana Award over the past 25 years."

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.
-
Zoë Kravitz Is the Latest New Yorker to Break the Flip-Flop Rule
She makes it look so easy.
-
Who Needs a Blow Dryer? Olivia Palermo's Bob Says No Thanks
Wet hair, don't care.
-
I'm Officially Swapping Baseball Caps for Kendall Jenner's Straw Hat
In true Hollywood form, she's not the only one inspiring me.
-
Why Princess Diana Once "Canceled Lunch" at Kensington Palace to Take Prince William and Prince Harry to McDonald's
A former royal chef revealed the relatable reason Diana took her kids to the popular fast food chain.
-
Why Princess Diana Felt "Let Down Terribly" on Her Wedding Day When Her Mother "Kept Crying"
"She kept...saying that she couldn't cope with the pressure."
-
I Dressed Like Princess Diana For a Week—and Something Unexpected Happened
Call it the Diana Effect.
-
Princess Diana "Wound Down Her Window" and Gave a Bride Some Brutal Advice After Her Divorce From Prince Charles
Someone track this couple down ASAP.
-
Prince William and Prince Harry Could Be "Tempted" to Secretly Bid on Their Mother's Outfits in New Auction
Who could blame them?
-
Princess Diana's Wedding Dress Designer Stored a Secret "Sister Dress" of One Famous Design at Hampton Court Palace
The dress is up for auction in the largest Diana fashion sale ever.
-
How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Paid Tribute to Princess Diana With Princess Lilibet's 4th Birthday Celebration
The Sussexes spent "two days of pure joy" at Disneyland with their children.
-
Princess Diana Argued With Her Butler and One Designer Over Wanting to "Go Super Short on the Skirts"
She argued with her butler and one designer about pushing the boundaries of hemlines.