Exclusive: Royal Author Reveals How Princess Kate's Style Choices Are "Not Really Timeless," but Part of a "Historical Continuum"

Right from the start, Princess Kate was recognized for her smart fashion choices. In fact, the popularity of her style decisions led to the term "the Kate effect" being coined, to refer to items of clothing that immediately sold out following her endorsement.

Author Catherine Mayer recently released the book, Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles. An expert on royal women, Mayer speaks exclusively to Marie Claire about how Princess Kate's style choices will be remembered, and why she's so important.

"I write in the book about how Kate's fashion choices changed, from styles that immediately situated her in a time and a place to a more 'timeless' set of looks," Mayer explains. "These are not of course really timeless."

In fact, the Princess of Wales appears to be drawn to two particular decades when it comes to formulating her outfits.

"The silhouette of the dresses tends to resemble day dresses from the 1930s and '40s for example," Mayer tells us. "But they are fashionable while also conveying that she is, as Princess of Wales, part of a historical continuum."

Mayer continues, "Her genius is image-making."

In the same interview, the royal author notes that Princess Kate seems to be following in Queen Elizabeth II's footsteps, in some respects.

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

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

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