Princess Kate is So Good at Her Job and So Famous That She “Feels Probably Quite Lonely,” Royal Expert Says

The Princess of Wales is surrounded by people at almost all times—whether at work, at home with her husband and three children, or out in public, with hordes of people clamoring to see her. But, surrounded by people though she may well be, a royal expert said that Kate may be heading into a more isolated time within the Firm, and is heading into “uncharted waters” after being left in a “lonely position.”

In fact, it’s Kate’s “incredible success” in her work—work she is tirelessly undertaking, having taken on more duties than ever since Her late Majesty passed away in September 2022—and her popularity that has caused her to forge her own unique place within the Firm, a level of popularity that few members of the royal family can relate to.

“I think in some ways, Kate feels probably quite lonely,” royal expert Dr. Tessa Dunlop said, per The Daily Express. “She’s left the category of a lone ranger or rich girl from her home county and has become this sort of stratospherically famous, influential individual, and I think that’s probably quite a lonely position. Which is why she’s lucky she’s got a good relationship with her mother and a very good one with her sister.”

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Dunlop added that, though in some aspects Kate was “an outsider,” that she has become an “incredibly successful import into the royal family.” Now 41, Kate has already outlived the previous Princess of Wales, Princess Diana, by five years; Diana died tragically at 36 in a car crash in Paris. Because of this, Dunlop said, Kate has merged into “uncharted” territory.

Kate Middleton at Wimbledon in a mint green blazer

“She [Diana] had died before she got to Kate’s age,” she said. “They [the monarchy] haven’t had a Kate. Kate is now in uncharted waters in modern history, and I think that’s worth bearing in mind. The future Queen Consort’s role is an incredibly influential one, and this is all about soft power.”

As the old adage says, it’s often lonely at the top.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.