Kate Middleton Was ‘Spooked’ by One Thing While Dating Prince William, New Book Reveals
Think dating Prince William was a dream? This new book reveals what actually overwhelmed Kate early on.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have been happily married for as long as we can remember, but their relationship was not all smooth from the beginning. Before getting married on April 29, 2011, the two were in a long-term relationship, and William was at first a little worried that Kate might feel overwhelmed by his royal world. It turns out there was one part of their relationship that actually ended up spooking her.
Royal expert Russell Myers, in his new book, William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story, shared that life in the spotlight was nothing new for William, who had grown up with constant media attention, but for Kate, it was all completely new and took some getting used to. He said (via Marie Claire), “William had done his best to inform her about how the media operated, but now she was the subject of their pursuit, things felt incredibly different.”
A former royal courtier revealed to Myers about how Kate reacted to all the sudden media attention. They said, “She was spooked by the attention. No matter how much you're told about what can happen, you literally can't have any idea about it until you're on the other side, and now she was very much on the other side.” As their relationship started getting more attention, things only got more intense, and it likely felt pretty overwhelming at times. Myers noted that William and Kate quickly "found themselves at the centre of a media storm.”
However, a former editor spoke to Myers and explained that there had long been global curiosity about William’s love life, and once his relationship was essentially confirmed, it shifted everything. The source added, “The public were desperate to know if the future King had found his Queen and what that would mean for the future of the monarchy in an ever-changing world.”
However, Kate has never been one to back out of a tough situation. Even during their initial dating phase, she oozed confidence, setting the tone of her future and marriage. Royal biographer Katie Nicholl wrote in her book, The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown, that Kate’s thought process was entirely different. When a friend pointed out how “lucky” she was to be dating William, Kate reportedly did not hesitate, quickly turning it around and saying, “He’s lucky to be going out with me!”
Suffice it to say, her confidence has been nothing short of great comfort to the future King, especially given the current climate the Firm is under. Despite the controversies and scandals that would have broken anyone, the Princess of Wales ensured her family and the monarchy remained a fortress of unity. And that unity was seen as the Waleses attended the Easter Sunday celebration with the rest of the royal family at St. George’s Chapel. It was also their first Easter service since Kate was diagnosed with cancer.
