Kate and William Found a Way to Beat the Paparazzi — and It’s Been Working for Years
Royal author reveals the clever strategy Princess Kate and Prince William use to protect their family's privacy while staying in the spotlight.
Despite being among the most photographed people in the world, Prince William and Princess Kate have managed to protect their family's privacy better than most public figures — and a royal author believes she knows why. It comes down to a simple but effective strategy: giving the public the pictures before anyone else can. The expert has now explained why that approach has worked so well for the Prince and Princess of Wales over the years.
According to royal author Catherine Mayer, whose new book Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles explores how the 44-year-old manages to keep public speaking to a minimum and avoids sharing deeply personal details about her life. William grew up with cameras following his every move and saw firsthand the relentless media attention Princess Diana faced. Now, that same level of interest surrounds Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Mayer shared on HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast, “She has done such a very clever job of finding a way to adapt to the institution.” She continued, “She does very little speaking and almost no confessional spilling of anything about who she is.”
The royal author explains that Kate goes beyond the princess's work with the National Portrait Gallery or her own photography, and she knows exactly how to use images to connect with the public. She said, “She is also credited with the idea of giving out intimate family pictures as a way not of infringing her own privacy, but protecting it, because it stops paparazzi shots from having the same level of value.”
Kate has used that approach time and time again over the years by her and William sharing their own carefully chosen pictures and videos. That includes George, Charlotte, and Louis' annual birthday portraits, many of which have been taken by the Princess herself. Moreover, she also announced her cancer diagnosis and released the video announcing the end of her chemotherapy treatment.
Mayer also pointed to the couple's wider approach to privacy by having a close-knit group of friends. “She and William have also chosen a group of friends who, as we know, do talk to the media, but only when they’re told to and not then on the record. But otherwise they don't talk at all,” she said.
