The Surprising Reason Kate Middleton Once Nearly Refused The Princess of Wales Title
Despite the huge honor, Kate was grappling with the emotional and historical weight of her new title.
Bringing in a historical change in the royal landscape, King Charles officially designated Prince William and Princess Kate as the new Prince and Princess of Wales on September 9, 2022. Just a day after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch addressed the nation from Buckingham Palace, expressing pride in passing on the role—that he held for several decades—to his son, with Kate beside him standing as a strong pillar of support. But despite the huge honor, Kate was grappling with the weight of her new title, which previously belonged to Princess Diana.
This was the first time since the tragic passing of Diana in 1997 that the title was back in use, adding more stress for the Princess. Even Queen Camilla opted out of using the Princess of Wales title despite being technically entitled to it during her time as the wife of the heir. Instead, she continued using the Duchess of Cornwall styling out of respect for public sentiment. This precedent was something that even Kate allegedly considered following. Talking about the same in his book William & Catherine: The Intimate Story, Myers revealed that the Princess of Wales was initially reluctant to step into the shoes of her mother-in-law.
Myers penned, “The last Princess of Wales had been William's mother, Diana, and courtiers said that while Catherine had a full appreciation of the history associated with the role, she was determined to find her own path.” Kate’s hesitation, the royal editor argued, was born from a deep-seated respect for the ‘People’s Princess’ and a keen awareness of the ‘inevitable comparisons’ that would follow as soon as she takes on the title. She reportedly expressed these concerns to William and Charles as well, deeply aware that even after more than two decades, the British public still maintains a powerful emotional bond with Diana.
This private concern highlighted a more cautious side of the Princess. A former senior aide to the couple told Myers, “She is benevolent with her intentions, but also wishes to carve out her own role for both herself and her family.” They further suggested that it took a lot of persuasion to get Kate to accept the role, stating, “I think when she was convinced to take the title on, and there was a bit of convincing, she felt that while there would be inevitable comparisons with Diana, she could manage it in her own way." This sentiment was also echoed by royal author Robert Jobson in his 2024 biography titled Catherine, the Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen.
In his book, he noted that the Princess of Wales title held ‘little appeal’ for the future Queen. Jobson suggested that she heavily weighted the idea of remaining a Duchess to avoid a direct comparison with Diana. Even so, he argued, by 2022, “enough time had passed to make the title more palatable, and Catherine had been on the world stage long enough to be appreciated for her own qualities.”
