Has your opinion of Kate changed?

[BeatrixFan]

Because mine has. I was watching GMTV this morning which is very rare as I'm mainly nocturnal and don't get to see morning television but they did a piece on Kate Middleton. Now, I'd already switched off when the Di coroner stuff came on and I was just reaching for the off button again when I saw footage of Kate walking TO WORK. They also showed footage of the parking ticket incident. Now, I didn't like Kate for the following reasons;

1) I saw her as a sulky spoilt gold digger
2) I didn't like this "poor me" attitude
3) I don't like William and naturally, that means I wouldn't like any future wife

But today, that all changed. The first thing I saw was Kate at the passing out parade and I have to say she was quite elegant. I stand by my statement that red was the wrong colour but she didn't seem to want to stand out. She wasn't doing the coy Di act but at the same time, she was keeping herself to herself aside from the occassional glance to William. She did seem to have a certain elegance.

Then there was her walking to work and so I'm happy to hear that she actually has a life. What she does I don't know but she's working and that gets a big thumbs up in my view. In the same footage, she actually smiled and waved at the camera. Now for me, that's a big plus point. The camera swung to the other photographers and there were about 10 or 11 all running towards her which struck me as being very OTT. But again, she handled it with elegance and smiled, waved and went into work.

It also erased any evidence of a "poor me attitude" that I had previously percieved her to have. I can see now that actually, it isn't Kate who has a poor me attitude - it's her fans who have a poor her attitude and seem to have given her the label of "can't cope with photographers" in a vain hope to make the engagement more Diana like. Well, she isn't Diana and she seems to be able to cope well enough on her own with just a few photographers. I can understand how difficult it must be when you get into tens of photographers though and I have to admit, I had no idea it was that bad.

Now, I don't like William very much for the basic reason that I see too much of Diana in him and it worries me. BUT - I have enough trust in Charles and Camilla that they've brought William up to be mindful of his duty and I think they've done a good job given the difficult circumstances. William is quite bland and boring but Kate seems to have something about her that I didn't see before which may compensate for his wet fish persona. She doesn't seem the type who wants to overshadow but she does seem the type who will be a supporter, rather than a wannabe.

So, after all I've said, I'm going to stick my neck out and say that she'll be quite a good little addition to the Royal Family. Ok, she'll need alot of teaching and I wish she'd put on a pair of gloves and put her hair up but I wouldn't mind if William did marry her and in fact, I hope he does. I rather like her now and I feel she'll be a good asset to the family. I won't say she'll be a perfect Princess and a wonderful Queen because we just don't know that yet - but she might have what it takes to keep the family on the right keel.

What I've come to realise is that alot will change during the reign of King Charles and Queen Camilla. They will make the monarchy a little more Scandinavian IMO and if that does happen, we'll need a good, young popular couple to "front the firm". I was pleased to read that after this year, William will start taking lessons in constitutional affairs. But I've resigned myself to the fact that Kate obviously is the one. Let's be honest, by the end of 2008, we're going to have Princess William of Wales and at the risk of being called a hypocrite - I think she'll be a bally good one.

I'm quite impressed with Kate and I'm annoyed at myself for making my assumptions on press pictures. I've spent today reading alot about Kate and if what I've read is true, I like her very much. I also managed to find a stack of very nice pictures of her. So, what I want to know is this. Has your opinion of Kate changed? Did you like her and now you don't or didn't you like her and now you're quite the fan?

I will say here and now that if she let's me down, I won't be best pleased. And I won't be happy if they don't marry after all and I have to get used to someone else. So thats that. Kate fans, you have permission to gloat.