How Princess Kate Is Following in Queen Elizabeth's Footsteps

Kate Middleton wears a giant straw hat and a green dress to attend Wimbledon in July 2026 — (Image credit: Getty Images/Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Since marrying Prince William in 2011, Princess Kate has become one of the most popular members of the British Royal Family. And according to one royal author, the Princess of Wales is seemingly following in the footsteps of an iconic royal relative.

Royal biographer Catherine Mayer has just released her latest book, Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles. Speaking exclusively to Marie Claire, Mayer opens up about Princess Kate's growing role within the Royal Family.

"There is some truth to the idea that Kate follows a model quite close to [Queen] Elizabeth's in terms of letting images do the talking rather than expressing herself more verbally and freely," Mayer says.

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The author continues, "That melds more easily with an institution that is meant to stay out of party politics and unite the populations it represents—across 15 Realms—rather than being divisive. But it doesn't mean that other models are automatically wrong."

Catherine Mayer

'Divide and Rule'

Kate Middleton wearing a blue coat sitting next to Queen Elizabeth, both are laughing — "There is some truth to the idea that Kate follows a model quite close to [Queen] Elizabeth's."

Mayer also notes that Queen Elizabeth's reputation, having reigned for seven decades, is a "a tough act to follow."

"With Elizabeth Windsor, it is even more tempting to believe that we know her," the royal author tells Marie Claire. "Most of us grew up with her as a familiar, if distant, figure, and there are any number of films and TV series that appear to bring her to life."

Mayer continues, "By the end of her reign, she was hailed as the perfect monarch and...a tough act to follow. That is to forget the long periods when she was criticized for missteps or mocked for being a little too safe, a little dowdy."

However, there is one topic that might negatively impact Elizabeth's legacy. "[I]t is quite possible that her decision to protect her second son, Andrew [Mountbatten-Windsor], will also dent her reputation in the short to medium term," Mayer shares.

topshot britains catherine, duchess of cambridge r shows britains queen elizabeth ii l and britains prince william, duke of cambridge, around the back to nature garden garden — "That melds more easily with an institution that is meant to stay out of party politics and unite the populations it represents."

Mayer further shares, "A future society might admire [Queen Elizabeth] for reasons we can't yet imagine or repurpose her story to serve their own narratives."

And when it comes to Princess Kate, it seems as though she's already building a solid legacy with firm foundations.

Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles by Catherine Mayer is available now.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.