The Queen "Nurtures" the Cambridges' Relationship: Royal Expert

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Queen Elizabeth II very much approves of Kate Middleton, and has done for years, apparently.

The monarch could tell straightaway that Middleton wasn't in it to become a duchess. "The thing about Kate is the Queen was impressed she adored and loved William for himself, not for his title," royal author Andrew Morton told OK! in a new interview.

The Queen was also apparently determined to help keep the Cambridges' relationship successful, after the marriage between Prince Charles and Princess Diana ended in betrayal and tragedy.

"She spends a lot more time supporting and nurturing the relationship between William and Catherine than she did with Charles and Diana," Morton explained. "It’s pretty clear she wasn’t going to make that mistake again. Everything that happened in [Kate and William’s] relationship was quite strategic, quite thought through, after a period of time."

The Queen learned a lot from the situation with Diana, and Morton believes she's determined to be open-minded as a result. "I think we’ve seen her gradually breaking free from the past," he said. "The monarchy to me now seems more of a relaxed institution than it’s ever been and I think that’s down to the Queen. There is still formality there, but it’s much more relaxed than it was 50 years ago."

Fellow royal author Tina Brown described the feeling that pervaded the Royal Family in the early 2000s in The Palace Papers. Their motto at the time was, "We don't want another Diana," Brown explained: They wanted to avoid her "explosive celebrity." And although the Duchess of Cambridge is widely adored, she and her husband have by and large made every effort to remain without scandal throughout their marriage—aided, no doubt, by the Queen's wise counsel.

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Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.