Princess Kate Was Like a "Rabbit in the Headlights": Expert

Princess Kate Middleton wears a black blazer and black top and has long wavy brunette hair featuring blonde highlights — (Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Prior to joining the Royal Family, Princess Kate was a regular citizen who had a relatively normal upbringing. Of course, once Prince William proposed, the Princess of Wales's life changed dramatically, and she must have been forced to undergo a huge adjustment period. According to a new book, wedding planning left Princess Kate looking "like a rabbit in headlights."

In his new book, William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, royal expert Russell Myers explored what happened prior to, and directly following, the couple's engagement. "Naturally, William was accustomed to courtiers creating a hive of activity around the big state occasions," the royal author shared. "But this was an entirely new experience for Catherine."

Myers continued, "Having been prevented from seeing much of the inner workings of the palace machine until her engagement to William was announced, and having had the sparsest of contact from the palace communications team, even as she had struggled with life in the spotlight, she was now faced with the reality of the world she was entering."

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Kate Middleton and Prince William walking into the room at their engagement announcement — "But this was an entirely new experience for Catherine."

Russell Myers

'William and Catherine'

Understandably, Prince William's team had a lot of work to do following the royal engagement news, particularly as the couple prepared for their wedding.

"A team of 20 aides was immediately assigned to the palace to help with the planning," Myers explained. He continued, "Catherine's nervousness was evident. The palace team took charge of facilitating everything from the venue to the reception, to Catherine's choice of dress designer and flowers, right through to liaising with the government and police to ensure the public would be able to join in the momentous national occasion."

Kate Middleton and Prince William smiling with their arms linked during their engagement interview — "She was now faced with the reality of the world she was entering."

Discussing Princess Kate's reaction to the huge response to her engagement news, one palace courtier told Myers, "It's fair to say she looked like a rabbit in headlights. We did our best not to bombard them with information, as much would be taken out of their hands anyway, but I think the speed at which the whole operation had to get off the ground was a surprise to both of them."

Luckily, Princess Kate embraced her new role within the Royal Family and quickly became a firm favorite with royal fans.

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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.