Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Statement Jackets
    • Halloween Nails
    • 'You Can See Everything'
    • London-Girl Style
    • Beauty Advent Calendars
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    The One Thing Princess Kate "Will Never Again Be Able to Do," According to a Royal Biographer

    "We know remarkably little about her."

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 7 June 2026 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Catherine, Princess of Wales, during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 8, 2026 in London, England
    (Image credit: Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Princess Kate is one of the most beloved members of the Royal Family. However, the Princess of Wales didn't grow up within the palace and has been forced to adjust to a completely different way of life since marrying Prince William on April 29, 2011.

    In a new article published by the Daily Mail, royal biographer Catherine Mayer discussed Princess Kate's life and the sacrifices she's made by joining the Royal Family.

    "What Kate cannot do—and will never again be able to do—is go about her days anonymously," Mayer wrote.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    The royal biographer continued, "The harder her late mother-in law Diana kicked against the restraints of royal culture, the greater the interest in her, and the more limited the protections she enjoyed. Kate's best and only defense—and an uncommon skill, at which she has excelled—is to hide in plain sight."

    Per Mayer, "She is one of the most photographed and talked-about women in the world, yet we know remarkably little about her."

    You may like
    • Princess Kate Middleton has long brown wavy hair with blonde highlights and looks to the sky while wearing a dark green coat "The Burdens" Princess Kate Experiences as a Royal Woman
    • Kate Middleton wears a giant straw hat and a green dress to attend Wimbledon in July 2026 Princess Kate "Melds More Easily" to Royal Life
    • Princess Kate wearing a gray coat Princess Kate Has Avoided One of the Great “Tragedies of Diana's Story”

    Princess Kate wearing a blue coat sitting at a table

    "She is one of the most photographed and talked-about women in the world."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    While royal fans remain fascinated by Princess Kate, life as a member of the Royal Family hasn't always been easy, says Mayer.

    "She has been criticized as boring, drab, and workshy," Mayer wrote. "A running complaint that dogged the Cambridges in the early years of their marriage was their perceived failure to do their bit for the family firm."

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Still, the Princess of Wales was reportedly prepared for her future role as a royal after dating Prince William for many years before marriage.

    "Unlike most other royal fiancées...Kate understood a good deal about the life she was agreeing to lead," Mayer claimed. "That is not the same thing as being protected from its downsides however."

    Kate Middleton listens to the acceptance speech of Martin Roth of the Victoria and Albert Museum in his capacity as the representative of the winner of the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2016 prize

    "Kate's best and only defense...is to hide in plain sight."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Mayer shared, "In Kate, William had found a partner as wary as he, private by instinct."

    Ultimately, Kate's ability to protect her private life, and only step out in public when absolutely necessary, appears to have been the perfect fit for Prince William.

    Explore More
    Princess Catherine Prince William
    Amy Mackelden
    Amy Mackelden
    Social Links Navigation
    Weekend Editor

    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.

    Read more
    Princess Kate wearing a gray coat
    Royals Princess Kate Has Avoided One of the Great “Tragedies of Diana's Story”
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Kate star power
    Royals Royal Experts Agree Princess Kate’s Level of “Star” Power Hasn’t Been Seen “Since Diana”
    By Christine Ross
     
     
    Princess Kate wearing a tiara sitting at a banquet table
    Royals Princess Kate’s Royal Superpower Is Revealed By Body Language Expert
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Kate waves while wearing a royal blue dress while daughter Princess Charlotte wears white
    Royals Princess Charlotte Just Had a Secret Day Out With Mom Kate
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Princess Kate foldling clothes at a charity shop next to a woman
    Royals Princess Kate Is "Just a Girl" in a Sweet Moment with a Fan
    Meghan Markle posing next to a table in a white dress
    Royals Meghan Markle Expands Into an Unexpected Category with As Ever
     
     
    Princess Kate holding an umbrella, walking next to Prince George and Prince William
    Royals Princess Kate Reveals Her School Break Plans With Prince George
    Princess Kate wearing a hard hat and high vis vest
    Royals Princess Kate Trades Her Tiara for a Hard Hat While Visiting Children's Hospice
     
     
    Latest in News
    Princess Kate foldling clothes at a charity shop next to a woman
    Royals Princess Kate Is "Just a Girl" in a Sweet Moment with a Fan
    Meghan Markle posing next to a table in a white dress
    Royals Meghan Markle Expands Into an Unexpected Category with As Ever
     
     
    Princess Kate holding an umbrella, walking next to Prince George and Prince William
    Royals Princess Kate Reveals Her School Break Plans With Prince George
    Dakota Johnson went to a workout class in L.A. wearing leggings and chunky Asics Gel-Kayano sneakers
    Celebrity Style Dakota Johnson Trades Her Go-To Nike V2K Sneakers for Rare Asics Trainers
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.