As Princess Kate joined the royal fold after her marriage to Prince William, she undertook the challenge of adapting to a world steeped in tradition and duty.
Fortunately, she found an invaluable guide in Queen Elizabeth II, who personally helped Kate navigate her early days in the Royal Family.
A recent Channel 5 documentary, Kate and the Queen: A Special Relationship, sheds light on the close bond between Kate and the late monarch.
According to royal experts featured in the film, Kate and the Queen shared a strong connection. Kate has expressed her deep appreciation for the Queen's support in helping her adapt to royal life and nurturing her role within the family.
Experts suggest that this respect was mutual, as the Queen valued Kate’s sincerity and dedication.
As reported in the Daily Mail, expert Richard Kay said that in his view, the late Queen's relationship with Princess Kate was somewhat of a slow burn and that this was part of the Queen's personality, to take her time getting to know people properly. "
The Queen grew to trust Kate. I don't think she really trusted anyone on first impression, we're all performing the same show, the show is supporting the Queen. But with Kate and the Queen, it grew deeper than that, there was a real grandmotherly affection between the two," claimed the expert.
Another royal expert - Victoria Murphy - pointed out that the two women shared an incredible common link, that enabled them to develop such a deep bond over time with their common ground as a foundation for their relationship.
"Right from the beginning, Kate had a lot more in common personality-wise with Elizabeth. They have something about them which has that inner poise and the capacity to lead and command respect," the expert claimed.
In a 2016 documentary celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday, Kate paid homage to her grandmother-in-law by recounting how the Queen had helped her transition into royal life.
Kate shared that, early in her marriage, the Queen personally supported her by accompanying her on a solo engagement, helping her ease into her official duties.
She also expressed her admiration for the Queen's unwavering sense of duty, which was evident in both her public life and her private values.
Moreover, Kate highlighted the Queen's appreciation for life’s simpler joys, an aspect of her character that Kate found especially endearing.
"I suppose what's really struck me is her love for the simple things in life. You would expect a lot of grandeur and a lot of fuss and things, but actually what really resonates with me is her love of simple things, the lack of fuss and I think that's a special quality I think to have."
