A royal author and correspondent has shared a story from Kate Middleton's early days with Prince William that reveals a lesser-known side to her character. The anecdote, recounted by Simon Vigar on The Talking Royals podcast, highlights a moment of quiet confidence from the future Queen.
Defiant response to 'lucky to have him'
Simon Vigar, a long-serving royal correspondent for Channel 5, recalled how Kate, unlike many others at St Andrews University, was not among those chasing William. This made her more attractive to him, he noted. When the couple finally got together, people would tell Kate she was 'lucky to have him'. Her response, according to Vigar, was: 'Well, he's lucky to have me'.
Vigar described this as showing 'a confidence there that isn't always obvious'. He added that Kate found the early stages of her royal career difficult, lacking the media training that Meghan Markle had.
Preparations for the role of Queen
The comments come amid ongoing discussion about what kind of Queen Kate might be when William succeeds his father, King Charles. Earlier this year, fellow royal author Katie Nicholl told the Mirror that Kate is ready for the role whenever it comes. Nicholl said someone who knows Kate and William well gave a 'categoric yes' when asked if Kate is ready for the next step.
Nicholl added that while they want Charles to remain on the throne for many years, they are 'absolutely ready and more than equipped' if the moment comes sooner than hoped.
Freshness and youthful vigour
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond also spoke positively about the couple's approach to royal life. She told OK! magazine that William and Kate bring 'a freshness, a youthful vigour' to engagements, citing examples like Catherine giggling over making William a coffee she knows he doesn't drink, and William taking pasty orders from an unsuspecting caller or jumping on Greg James' bike during a charity ride.
Bond noted they 'positively bounce off one another' on joint engagements and have found a way to make their lifelong job enjoyable as well as worthwhile.
