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

[Catherine J]

Diana's popularity is impossible, like most popularities - but hers in particular, to quantify and use as any sort of benchmark. She died tragically. She lived a tragic life. She is a tragic historical figure - a little like Mary Queen of Scots who has been endlessly romanticised to the point of absurdity and certainly to the point of distortion.

It's sort of a weird discourse, when you sit down to speak to it. A little like arguing with your sibling over who Mom loves better. How do you measure that?

Let's try an empirical approach:

caveat: based on all things remaining on the current trajectory.


1. Will Catherine be on more magazine and newspaper covers in her lifetime?

YES, likely. She will be in the BRF longer, one presumes. She will be a Duchess married to a VERY popular Duke. She will be a Princess married to a VERY popular Prince. She will be a Queen married to a VERY popular King. No contest.

2. Will Catherine do more charity work?

YES, likely - see above.

3. Will Catherine influence fashion more?

YES, likely - see above.

4. Will more people love Catherine for standing by her Prince than loved Diana for sticking it to hers?

YES, I believe so.

5. Will less people dislike or even hate her because she does something like the Panorama interview or admits to affairs?

YES, I believe so.

6. Will people find her as dreamy and romantic, as tragic and sad, and therefore lovable? Subtext: Will Catherine have as many fans?

NO, Diana wins this one.

7. Will Catherine revolutionize the Monarchy the way Diana, albeit in a tragic way, did?

YES, she's a commoner. She has already won. But further I believe both William and Catherine will the point at which Historians later say "this was the point at which the Monarchy had its most profound change and found a way to stay relevent." My opinion, of course - not much empirical here.

Edited to add

8. Will Catherine win the hearts of people everywhere when she becomes a mother and be as beloved as Diana for her indisputable love for her children?

YES. I am calling this one a tie. A slight edge to Catherine because I think they will be the first real royal family we will be familiar with and love as a unit.

Okay, I'm ready to vote: I say Catherine will be more popular than Diana.


YMMV

 

[Duke-of-Earl]

Great comment and 'break down' of the facts regarding HRH and Diana

I wish I could post comments like that lol

 

[Cicmil Crowns]

Probably not. From media coverage perspective, there is always a better story when there are problems in a relationship as opposed to when everything seems fine.

 

[Dman]

Members of the royal family often take a little inspiration from the older royals and previous royals but they are all encouraged to follow their own path and carve out their own roles as they see fit. Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Charles and Andrew have mentioned these things in interviews they've done of the years.

The Duchess of Cambridge remarked in her engagement interview that the late Princess of Wales was an inspiration person to look up to and she said that she will take everything in her stride, work hard and try to make a difference in any way she can. I think that's just what she's doing. Her charitable patronages will grow, she will get more involved in different organizations and her royal role within the "Firm" will increase. It takes time, energy and hard work.

The Duchess of Cambridge is already a popular senior member of the royal family. When it's announced she will be visiting a certain part of the country or charity, the people and children come out in great numbers to just get a glimps of her. The media's coverage is a pretty big deal. We saw this when she embarked on her first solo engagements earlier this year.

Her popularity will grow as she grow but I don't think she's competing for the same popularity of her late mother-in-law. While Diana was here, she did what she had to do but now I'm just looking forward to seeing Catherine grow in her royal role as wife, future mother, future Princess of Wales and future Queen.

I think the trick is for the media and even royal watchers allow Catherine to grow and not try to compare her to the late Princess.

I think Diana would want the media and all her fans to let Catherine show you who she is and let her shine in her own right. Not expect the Duchess to be a mirror of who Diana was and what she did.

 

[Dman]

Kate Middleton Diana: Arthur Edwards on why Duchess of Cambridge is the new Queen of Hearts | The Sun |Woman

I think this was a very nice article by Arthur Edwards. Nice tribute to HRH.

 

[rosana]

How ridiculous, even the choice of pintures is so evidently trying hard to make them look the same. Diana was only one. The only one that gets close in people´s heart is her son Harry.

 

[Kataryn]

How ridiculous, even the choice of pintures is so evidently trying hard to make them look the same. Diana was only one. The only one that gets close in people´s heart is her son Harry.

I personally (but as part of the aforementioned "people") prefer an Search & Rescue officer and his children cuddling wife any moment over a soldier in a deadly war. Plus I prefer a loving, supporting wife to a spiteful adulteress. I only wonder why I don't find it in me to state that my opinon is everybody's opinion....

 

[Osipi]

I personally (but as part of the aforementioned "people") prefer an Search & Rescue officer and his children cuddling wife any moment over a soldier in a deadly war. Plus I prefer a loving, supporting wife to a spiteful adulteress. I only wonder why I don't find it in me to state that my opinon is everybody's opinion....

I really thought that article by Edwards was a good one and he was dead on about the similarities between Kate and the late Diana.

Regardless of the past, William and Harry both seem to have inherited the best qualities of both their parents. It also doesn't surprise me that Kate would exhibit similar qualities to Diana as those would be the qualities that William admired in his mother and wants to emulate and of course would look for those in a woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

The main point is we ended up with a win/win situation with William, Harry and Kate.

 

[Lumutqueen]

How ridiculous, even the choice of pintures is so evidently trying hard to make them look the same. Diana was only one. The only one that gets close in people´s heart is her son Harry.

Then you clearly have no idea of the British or Commonwealth public, because they adore William and Catherine along with it.
Stating opinion as fact is dangerous, and you keep doing it.

 

[Dman]

Like Arthur, I think everyone who are big fans of the royals missed having a young and beautiful princess around and embracing the people. The British haven't really seen and felt that since Diana was around. Now Catherine is on the scene and she's giving out those same qualities. Obviously she's her own woman and not the second Diana. I must agree with Arthur, Catherine really is doing a good job but she have a long road ahead of her and some challenges will be thrown her way. I think as long as she have the loving support of William, her family, royal family and the people, she will be okay.

 

[carlota]

funny anecdote by cheryl cole, although i wonder if such comment on his wife was ever made by william...

it's very sweet of kate to send flowers to hospitals or hospices of the cities she visits. i hope this becomes a "tradition" of hers. i bet it can make the day of the patients of the hospital to know they were sent by her, let alone how pretty places look with fresh flowers.

 

[hkittybaby]

Kate is Kate

Diana is Diana

 

[AdmirerUS]

Kate is Kate

Diana is Diana

I could not agree more and having lived through the Diana years, I do so hope Catherine's future is very different. Certainly, her situation from the start of her service is wisely different.

 

[MARG]

I could not agree more and having lived through the Diana years, I do so hope Catherine's future is very different. Certainly, her situation from the start of her service is wisely different.

You are right, their situations were totally different. At Catherine's age Diana was a mother and had weathered the fashion faux pas that littered her early years in the BRF and was an accomplished "performer" for the Firm. Catherine is 1 year in and still finding her feet, her personal style is still yet to appear, so ballpark age but dramatically differing lives.

And that is how it should be!

 

[Kataryn]

I don't think the tabloids are as fascinated with Catherine than they were with Diana. Catherine is older and much more set in her ways than Diana was. Diana had a lot of the "girl next door" left in her when she became pregnant and that gave the tabloids stories - like when she went to a local shop near Highgate and bought some sweets. I cannot imagine someone running a similar story with Catherine, even if similar pics existed. People would say: so what? Duchess buys sweets, where's the news? With Diana ist gave a story about the young princess trying to cling a bit to her old life etc. etc. Catherine never gave the public enough insights for the media to create such stories or opportunities for pics that seem to tell their own story. Diana's whole life had a kind of fairytale quality and this is something that's missing from Catherine's or if it is there, it's a well-guarded secret.

 

[Dman]

Many female members of the royal family go through their popular moments. At the moment Catherine is very popular.

To me, Catherine is the "Girl Next Door" because I personally know a lot of families like the one she comes from.

 

[Duke-of-Earl]

I was just a kid when Diana died and increasingly to an entire new generation of monarchists like myself, Diana Spencer is just a name in history. When children and teens wait for hours to catch a glimpse of Catherine, they are doing it because Catherine connects with us, not because of the ghost of Diana past. Popularity is an odd thing and difficult to quantify but for a new generation of monarchists, Catherine is already more popular than Diana and I don't think that is much of a surprise.

 

[Dman]

Then again, popualrity within the royal family only last for awhile. Right now Catherine is popular but then she will have children and the media and everybody else will focus on them, especially when they get older. Popularity passes on from one generation to another. That's just the pattern.

 

[Kataryn]

makes for an interesting read:

http://ctpanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/jprs1.1_bastin_threeofusinthisbiography.pdf

 

[Duke-of-Earl]

James Dean is one of the most iconic and famous American actors of all time and not because of his body of work but because he died a tragic death at a young age

 

[Nice Nofret]

makes for an interesting read:

http://ctpanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/jprs1.1_bastin_threeofusinthisbiography.pdf

Thank you very much for this very interesting read

 

[AdmirerUS]

makes for an interesting read:

http://ctpanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/jprs1.1_bastin_threeofusinthisbiography.pdf

That IS interesting.
Perhaps no coincidence, as I was reading this thread, it occurred to me that in the "girl next door" category, both Diana and Kate fit the bill. Kate's version relies on friendship and steadfastness. You like her because she is fun and steady. You want to stand with her because she is such a help.

Diana was very friendly too, but her trump card was her vulnerability. I liked her because she was fun and wanted friends as she bravely took on her princess role amidst a lot of naysayers. You wanted to stand with her as a help.

And I do not mean this to dis Diana at all. Diana brought the monarchy to life and I loved her as much as anyone from afar could. I just was thinking about how two such different young women could be so adored in the same role.

 

[Kataryn]

Another series of interesting links - interviews with Royal reporters and editors pre Diana's death but after the Panorama-interview:

Interviews | Princess And The Press | FRONTLINE | PBS

 

[Duke-of-Earl]

Just keep in mind the 'complicated' relationship Diana had with the press in general and certain reporters in particular. For better or for worse, Diana and the tabloids go hand in hand and I mean that with no disrespect, just the facts.

 

[Kanchana]

She seems to be a nice person but she doesn't have much to her name other than being "girlfriend/wife"..

Maybe becoming a working royal will make her more popular & in the good way..

She should do more by herself & carve herself an independent life even while being wife & mother..She has her whole life ahead of her & should think about keeping herself busy..People should refer to her her as a hard working royal who knows what it's like to be in the ordinary folk's shoes..Not known forever as "Waity Katie" etc..

Princess Diana can never be replaced in style & popularity but it depends on how Kate conducts herself in future..Maybe she will become more popular,maybe not..Only time will tell

 

[Lumutqueen]

Princess Diana can never be replaced in style & popularity but it depends on how Kate conducts herself in future..Maybe she will become more popular,maybe not..Only time will tell

I'm not really sure how you can compare the supposed style of the 1980's to what we see today. Personally I see no style in anything Diana wore, it was all bleurgh to me. But whilst I fined most of Catherines clothes boring on her, they're sophisticated looking, mostly well made and suit her role. As for popularity, that is also a matter of opinion. Diana, unless you knew her personally or are a serious hardcore fan will be a page in a history book soon enough.

 

[Mirabel]

I'm not really sure how you can compare the supposed style of the 1980's to what we see today. Personally I see no style in anything Diana wore, it was all bleurgh to me.

But, as you say, you are looking back. So many styles of the past seem downright ridiculous now; you wonder how anyone could have worn such clothes.

But they did, we did, and we thought we looked great! Now we look back and laugh at the pictures!

 

[Dman]

Diana did her thing back in the day now Catherine is doing her thing today. I think Catherine's popularity is high but probably become even higher when she a full time working royal. Also, she will become very popular when she become Princess of Wales.

Although, I really don't think she focus on her popularity. I think her main focus is being a mother, a great support to Willam and doing her duty as a senior member of the royal family. Popularity comes and goes but her work as Duchess of Cambridge, future Princess of Wales/Queen is what I think will be remembered.

Diana was popular but she worked hard as The Princess of Wales/future Queen. The media made her personal life as the main focus and I hope the media wouldn't treat Carherine the same way.

 

[amaryllus]

I have the feeling some of the media would like Catherine and William to have more drama and gossip around them to sell more copy;0 Whatever else Diana was good for the scandal that sells tabloids and Charles and cam still are.

 

[Rocketmom]

Charles always seemed jealous of Diana's popularity. William doesn't seem jealous of Kate at all. Just proud.