The Duchess of Cambridge: Will she become more popular than Diana?

[LadyCat]

I really hope she doesn't! It's bad enough living in a fishbowl, especially with the love/hate rollercoaster relationship the press always seems to foster. It seems the papers and tabloids were always building Diana (and even Sarah) up, only to bring her down again. One week it was all smiles and sunshine and she could do no wrong, the next she couldn't put a foot right.

It is my hope Kate can avoid that. So far she has done nothing to encourage the attention she receives and I hope she continues to act as she does now after she and William are married (supposing of course they do eventually marry).

Cat

 

[Amelia]

I don't think popularity will come into it, I think what everyone is really talking about is, will Kate be a celebrity like Di, and the answer to that is no, because she wouldn't want to be.

I really feel the same way. I don't think the Royal Family want or need another celebrity princess. Kate, to me at least, does not seem seek the spotlight and I can't imagine that this will change if they do marry. I believe that you can be a popular and appreciated princess without being the constant focus of the worlds media.

 

[biboquinhas]

I think yes! If she married william and if she start to act like Diana, to support social causes, have important Patronages and more important if she really start to do something, to act, to be proactiv, she will get the same popularity. Also she needs to smile, to be kind and to be in the people's grace, yes she has the potential no doubt of it, but she needs to work for that!!

 

[Little_star]

I don't think Kate would ever be as popular or well-liked as Diana.

 

[Odette]

A lot of my British friends think Kate is too "common" So far however,she proved that she can keep her mouth shut and toe the line (like dropping out of the race in the English Channel last year) I am sure the Palace will rein her in or at least they will try.
The difference with Diana was that she burst on the scene, became engaged, married and bore William in a 2 year span. Kate has been front and center for so long there is nothing more to anticipate..........

 

[Turkish Delight]

I do not think that Kate will be popular as much as Diana.

 

[Principessa Cano]

I don't think that Kate will be as popular as Diana. I think the time when royals are idolized as much as Diana was has passed. I also feel that Kate lacks the star power and charisma that Diana had naturally. This might ultimately led to a happier life for Kate if she marries William. Less popularity/hype means less press coverage which means a better chance at a happy and private home life. Kate isn't my first choice for my future queen, but if she is William's then I hope they have a happy home life together; I don't wish them any ill will.

 

[Mermaid1962]

If Kate and William get married, keep their marriage together, and have a stable family life, then I think that Kate might be more popular than Diana in the long run. Diana had huge popularity but also a huge fall from public grace once the scandals came out. I hope that Kate is one day able to win over her detractors; I think that she must be a very special lady to keep William's interest for so long.

 

[magnik]

Kate will be popular as long as they will be together.
If they break up probably she would try (probably hard) to stay on spotlight (be popular) as long as it will be possible.
If they stay together and married some day I hope that she wouldn't treat her new role princess as a game/ party. She would get to hard work and show that she is worth be a prince wife specially PoW, calling her princess (no matter of her background) and queen. If she do that she has a c hance to be more popular as late Diana was.

 

[Mermaid1962]

Yes, I agree totally. Should they get engaged, I'm looking forward to hearing her speak for herself rather than learning about her through news reports alone.

She would get to hard work and show that she is worth be a prince wife specially PoW, calling her princess (no matter of her background) and queen. If she do that she has a c hance to be more popular as late Diana was.

 

[TheTruth]

I don't think she'll be more popular than Diana. Every newspaper compare the 2 women but in the first months of Charles and Diana relationship there was a real mania surrounding her. What attracted the attention on Diana was that Charles was in a constant search of a bride. The media were just following him everywhere to see who was the new catch of the day. Kate is popular but it's been 5 years that they are together and it's starting to get long for the public and the press. To me it's getting "boring" and I believe people will get sick of waiting if nothing happens in a year.
Their stories are just too different to be compared. She'll probably be very famous and maybe as famous as Diana but it will never be for the same reason.

 

[Lumutqueen]

It depends.
Her ealtionship with william has been very public, it wasn't hidden away or kept a secret like Prince Charles and Diana's was and they've been dating for what 4 years now?
Prince Charles and Diana dated for around about the same time, but their affairs were less public.
The people do seem to love Kate, maybe not as much as Diana but if she does Marry prince William then maybe they will love her as much. This country needs another person to idolise/adore as much as they did for Diana. She seems a nice enough girl who seems truely in love with Prince William. But maybe the question is If she does become as popular as Diana, will she be able to cope with it?
x

 

[amad1108]

yes the people need someone to idolise but is not kate how can people idolise someone that does not work and leave off their parent cares and put her life on hold for her william, yes she will be popular ad diana but will she be respect as diana no after everything of nothing for 5years she is going to need less popular and more hard work to show the people different side of her than what we have seen for 5 years which is not impressive so far.

 

[PrincessKLS2007]

Of course she would but could she do a worldwide impact like Diana did??? I personally don't know and my gut tells me no. I wouldn't want her to be forced into charity work just because it was her job. I sincerely believe Diana truly cared for the causes and people she championed.

 

[PrincessofEurope]

it is hard to compare the two woman as they are different generations
whilst Diana is one of the most popular woman in history she lived a short life and in this new age of advanced technology ie the web, mobile phones with cameras and videos Kate if she married William could potentially be more recognisable and more photographed than Diana. Had Diana lived in this 21st century she undoubtable would dominate yet everyone has there peak period, when they are in the prime, Kate could be eclipsed by her children and their wives

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

It is impossible to say.......... because Kate Middleton is an unwritten persona as yet. We only know such trivial details and facial expressions as give us an idea of how she dresses and such like that. We know that it is a given she will be popular, but the how much and what kind of representations will be hers are for the future to reveal in its own good time. You never know. She could be a royal b**** and thus be as earth-shattering to the monarchy as Diana was, and hence as popular. But she could also turn out to be as dull as she promises to be now, and as dull as her boyfriend, which, given the horrible 80s and 90s (for the monarchy) wouldn't be such a bad thing at all, I guess.

 

[PrincessKLS2007]

I don't think she'll be more popular than Diana. Every newspaper compare the 2 women but in the first months of Charles and Diana relationship there was a real mania surrounding her. What attracted the attention on Diana was that Charles was in a constant search of a bride. The media were just following him everywhere to see who was the new catch of the day. Kate is popular but it's been 5 years that they are together and it's starting to get long for the public and the press. To me it's getting "boring" and I believe people will get sick of waiting if nothing happens in a year.
Their stories are just too different to be compared. She'll probably be very famous and maybe as famous as Diana but it will never be for the same reason.

I'm at a point, I try to ignore the relationship and not read too much on royal forums and stuff like that. You can't ask them to break up and not be friends or to get married ASAP just because the average joes and janes of the world are sick of hearing about it

When you take away the media sensationess, and even the royal titles, it's really just two young adult people in a relationship just like anywhere else. I have an uncle that dated a woman for like 20 or so years before he married at an old age, in fact, everyone was shocked when they got married because we thought it would never happen. So a relationship that's been on and off for 5-6 years is nothing.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

I have a question that is kind of on topic, but kind of off topic, so I'm not sure if it's a good one for the thread. But I'll try it on you anyway. Here goes.

You ask, "Will Kate be as popular as Diana?" Since so many press writings have compared Kate to Diana, what about Diana? Who was Diana compared with at the time of her dating/engagement with Charles? Was she compared to anyone in the past? Just curious....! I never thought of it before. What do you think?

 

[TheTruth]

I'm at a point, I try to ignore the relationship and not read too much on royal forums and stuff like that. You can't ask them to break up and not be friends or to get married ASAP just because the average joes and janes of the world are sick of hearing about it

No, all I'm saying is that people and the press will get bored and won't give Kate enough popularity to surpass Diana's.

I have a question that is kind of on topic, but kind of off topic, so I'm not sure if it's a good one for the thread. But I'll try it on you anyway. Here goes.

You ask, "Will Kate be as popular as Diana?" Since so many press writings have compared Kate to Diana, what about Diana? Who was Diana compared with at the time of her dating/engagement with Charles? Was she compared to anyone in the past? Just curious....! I never thought of it before. What do you think?

I don't think Diana was compared to anyone before she died in fact. I remember that many saw a kind of Marilyn Monroe in Diana since they died at the same age. However, the comparison stops here. I believe she wasn't associated to someone simply because the UK hadn't experience such an interest for the PoW's wife-to-be before.

 

[Amelia]

No, all I'm saying is that people and the press will get bored and won't give Kate enough popularity to surpass Diana's.

I think that the press and people are already a little bored with Kate and William and this whole will they or won't they thing that has been going on for years now but I do believe that if/when they do get engaged there will be a whole new fresh interest in Kate.

 

[TheTruth]

Yes, that's also what I think. Diana did get this huge popularity cause it didn't take too much time between the start of their relationship and the wedding. All went very fast (too fast maybe). But I guess Kate would prefer being happy with her husband than being as famous as Diana and being lonely.

 

[Menarue]

NO.
No, I don't think Kate will be EVER more popular than Diana, even if it's in the matter of newspaper sales rather than on public opinion. Kate just doesn't have that charisma or "charm" Diana had when she got married to Prince Charles. I read in a pervious thread that many people dub Kate as a "middle class women." I don't know anyone whose bank account has more than $5 million dollars and lives in a $2 million dollar house and calls themselves a member of a middle class. Diana, on the other hand truly was a middle class girl, which made people relate to her even more. I, personally don't find my self relating to Kate. She seems one of those rich girls who had it all and were given more. Diana on the other hand was someone who you wanted to succeed because she was also coming from nothing. I don't know, I just don't see Kate being MORE or even AS famous as Diana.

Diana wasn´t middle class she was a noblewoman from a very very wealthy landowning family and a descendant of Charles II more than once over, there was nothing middle class about Lady Diana Spencer.

 

[Warren]

I don't know anyone whose bank account has more than $5 million dollars

I'd like to know how anyone can claim knowledge of Kate Middleton's bank balance.

 

[CasiraghiTrio]

^Yeah, if anyone knows about what Kate has in her bank account, it's probably from the trash-fishing tabloids (literally rummaging in her curbside trash), and in that case, Kate needs to get herself a shredder. Short of that, however....

On the subject of Diana being compared to past royalty, there have been some comparisons, but like TheTruth said, I think they were posthumously proposed, and I can't think of any that existed at the time of her engagement. But Pimlott made a comparison to Princess Charlotte Augusta, and there have been other comparisons to Queen Alexandra, though most likely only because of the commonly-held title, and also the late Queen Mother.

 

[Isana]

If I understand correctly everyone in the UK who doesn't hold a noble title is considered "middle class" irrespective of his/her wealth. Even multi billionaire Richard Branson is middle class.

I don't think Kate will cause the same sort of hype Diana did. She doesn't have the same appeal: First because her and William's story isn't a "fairy tale" but a relationship that developed naturally at college and second because Kate doesn't have the same sort of tragic life story (at least I very much hope she won't). A lot of people sympathised with Diana because she was cheated on and unhappy, yet very warm and caring. While Kate will undoubtedly take on a lot of engagments if she joins the Royal Family, people won't feel with her like they did with Diana since (I very much hope) she won't suffer the same way. Still she'll probably become a very popular and well liked member of the Royal Family.

 

[Mermaid1962]

Who was Diana compared with at the time of her dating/engagement with Charles?

Excellent question! I remember Diana being compared to Charles's other girlfriends at the time of their engagement, and she came off looking rather well in comparison because she was so young and fresh. The others were so much more sophisticated than she was, and she seemed like the kind of girl I'd like to have as a friend.

Diana's sudden rise to fame, her marriage, her first child, and taking on a high-profile role, all within two or three years, was the worst possible thing that could have happened to her IMO. For someone who needed stability and security as much as Diana did, the sudden attention and adoration must have been damaging in some way.

Kate's had a lot more time to get used to media attention and establish her relationship with William and his family. If she's The One, this will establish her well.

She had Queen Alexandra's large eyes as well, and some of her charities were involved with hospitals, which I believe was of interest to Queen Alexandra as well.

 

[Menarue]

Don´t forget that Diana´s sister was one of the girls that he was supposed to be marrying and that Diana had been close to the British royal family all her life. She didn´t have to learn how to get on with the family, she already knew them well. Her grandmother was the Queen mother´s lady-in-waiting and a very close friend.
Kate Middleton would never have mixed with royalty, she just happened to meet Prince William when they were lodged in the same house at University.
Most papers say that her parents are millionaires, and that her father has a business supplying, or perhaps manufacturing, party goods, no royal or noble background there.

 

[Princess B]

i dont think so

she will always be compared to diana...whos popularity she will infact increase

 

[princess olga]

Of course she would but could she do a worldwide impact like Diana did??? I personally don't know and my gut tells me no. I wouldn't want her to be forced into charity work just because it was her job. I sincerely believe Diana truly cared for the causes and people she championed.

..and to add to that, people really felt that about her, that there was a genuineness there about Diana. Not to mention that Diana worked hard at her job as a nanny, no one could have accused her of just lounging about prior to the engagement, like Kate seems to be doing.
To sum it up, we've had enough time to observe that Kate, A) doesn't care too much about volunteering and charities and the like, and B) that she is content to spend her life focused on shopping clubbing, and taking the occasional photograph. Hardly a person the British people would take a huge shine to, let alone the world. At best she becomes a sort of Mary of Denmark, a not too interesting, not too controversial, mediocre personality that doesn't cause any waves. Boring. Too bad Harry isn't the first born.

 

[LadyCat]

When you think about it, that's just what the BRF needs, a "not too interesting, not too controversial" [princess olga] princess! After the last few decades it would be a blessing to have the royal family pretty much off the front page of the Sun and Mail. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen since the journalists (and I use the term loosely) at these papers are prone to "creating" news when there is nothing to reports (Charles and Camilla are a good example of their "creativity").

I think it possible the populace of Great Britain will be more than happy to see their royal family return to what it once was. I'm sure I'll be corrected if my assumption missed the mark, but I think the mystique the BRF once had needs to reappear.

As I said earlier, I sincerely hope Kate does not come anywhere close to Diana in popularity and media coverage. Once in a lifetime was plenty!

Cat