5 Ways Princess Kate Will Be a Very Different Queen From Her Royal Predecessors

Princess Kate has spent more than a decade preparing for a role she was not born into. When she eventually becomes Queen, she won’t just be stepping into a title held by generations of royal women, but she’ll be bringing a very different life story with her. Kate was born a commoner, went to university, built a career, and spent years dating Prince William before their wedding. Those details may seem ordinary on their own, but they make her path to the throne very unlike that of queens who came before her.

Kate's reign as queen will be unusual for the simple fact that she was not of royal or aristocratic background. Born Catherine Middleton in 1982, she grew up in a middle-class family in Berkshire, with her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, who built their fortune through their Party Pieces business. Queen Elizabeth, for instance, was born a princess, and the Queen Mother, born Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was the daughter of an earl. Princess Diana was also born into the aristocracy as the daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer, while Queen Camilla was born into a well-connected upper-class family. Kate only entered the royal circle after marrying William in 2011.

Kate will make history as the first British Queen Consort to hold a university degree when she takes on the role. She graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2005 with a 2:1 in History of Art, having studied alongside William. Her university education sets her apart from previous Queen Consorts, including Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother, who were educated privately rather than attending university. Queen Camilla has received honorary degrees, but Kate will be the first to bring an earned undergraduate degree to the role.

Before marrying William, Kate had already built a working life of her own. After graduating from St Andrews, she worked at her family’s Party Pieces business before taking a job as an accessories buyer at Jigsaw, where she worked until 2007. She later returned to Party Pieces, taking on marketing, catalogue and photography work. That gives Kate a very different path to queenship than her predecessors.

Kate has also carved out a noticeably low-key approach to royal life, both at home and in what she wears. At Forest Lodge, she and Prince William have no live-in staff, with their nanny, housekeepers, and other employees living nearby. This decision is part of their effort to maintain a more private and normal family life. Additionally, Kate's wardrobe also places her apart from her predecessors. Kate is known to mix luxury designers with high-street brands, also rewearing and recycling her favorite pieces. The objective here is for the focus to remain on her work and causes rather than her fashion choices. Stylist Lisa Talbot once told the Daily Mail, "By choosing familiar pieces from her existing wardrobe, she removes any distraction and keeps the focus on her role and her work rather than what she's wearing."

For Queen Elizabeth, royal duty often meant accepting long periods away from family. Her role as Head of State brought a level of public duty that could take her away from her young children, and Prince Charles and Princess Anne were frequently cared for by nannies while their parents travelled on official duties. Kate has taken a notably different approach to balancing the two. In his biography Catherine, the Princess of Wales, royal author Robert Jobson says she established “some fundamental life rules” after joining the Royal Family. “Her priority, she emphasized, would always be her family,” he explained. When Kate eventually takes the throne, it is expected that she will bring a very different set of boundaries between royal duty and family life.