How Queen Elizabeth Grew to Really Trust Kate Middleton, According to Royal Experts

As a "commoner" marrying into the monarchy, Kate Middleton faced a steep learning curve when she married Prince William and officially joined the royal family and began going on royal engagements.

It was only natural that Kate looked to her more experienced new in-laws for guidance during this transition, and the late Queen Elizabeth became a particular pillar of support for the young, newly-minted royal, who once called the late monarch "a gentle guide."

While Elizabeth developed what the Daily Mail's Senior Editor-at-Large Richard Kay described as a "grandmotherly" bond with Kate over time, truly gaining the trust of the late Queen took time—for anyone, not just her granddaughter-in-law.

In a new Channel 5 documentary called Kate and The Queen: A Special Relationship, royal experts weigh in on the relationship between Kate and the late Queen, including Kay, who offered some exert insight into how Elizabeth gradually "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," he explained (per the Daily Mail). "But with Kate and the Queen it grew deeper than that, there was a real grandmotherly affection between the two."

According to Majesty magazine editor and royal expert Ingrid Seward, Kate's character was what ultimately impressed the late Queen and inspired her to set aside time in her busy schedule to personally mentor Kate as she acclimated herself to royal life.

"I think the Queen saw her strength and saw that she is a caring person who had this amazing affiliation to duty," Seward said. "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."

As the Daily Mail notes, Kate and Elizabeth's bond only continued to grow stronger over time, with the pair being "said to often catch up over afternoon tea" when Kate and Will based themselves at Kensington Palace in London, which is within walking distance of Buckingham Palace, where the late Queen was based at the time.

The bond between the royal women is thought to have been strengthened even more when Will and Kate became parents, as Kate "made a great effort to involve Her late Majesty in the children's lives," according to the Daily Mail.

Although they were brought together by the pomp of royal life, Kate and Elizabeth apparently bonded most over their appreciation for simpler things in life.

"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," Kate once said of the late monarch. "And I think that's a special quality to have."