The royal shared invaluable advice with Kate Middleton
Catherine, Princess of Wales has been a firm member of the Royal Family for many years now.
Before she tied the knot with Prince William in 2011, her life was quite different.
She understandably needed advice on how to cope with global attention and life within the palace – and there was one person she leant on for support.
Prince Philip – who gave up his Greek royal title to become the longest serving consort in British history – offered Kate the direction she needed.
He spent decades as the late Queen Elizabeth’s loyal partner, putting the needs of the Firm first as he served as patron, president or a member of more than 780 organisations.
His lifetime of dedication made him the perfect person to offer advice to Kate on how to cope with a life in the spotlight.
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When Kate entered the Firm aged 29, Philip was reportedly ‘relieved’ his grandson Prince William had found ‘such a level-headed girl’, Mirror reports.
Royal author Gyles Brandreth, who became friends with Prince Philip through his work for the National Playing Fields Association, said Philip gave Kate some invaluable lessons.
Brandreth wrote in his biography Philip The Final Portrait: “One of the things that saddened – and worried – the Queen and Prince Philip about Diana, Princess of Wales, was not that she was popular, but that she allowed her popularity to go to her head.
“Once upon a time Philip and Elizabeth were seen as characters from a fairy tale.
“The difference between them and Princess Diana, I think, is that they did not take it personally.”
He wrote that Philip said: “If you believe the attention is for you personally, you’re going to end up in trouble.
“The attention is for your role, what you do, what you’re supporting.
“It isn’t for you as an individual. You are not a celebrity. You are representing the Royal Family. That’s all.
“Don’t look at the camera. The Queen never looks at the camera. Never.
“Look at who you are talking to. Look at who you’ve come to see. Diana looked at the camera.”
Brandreth said that Kate has long heeded the advice of Prince Philip, adding: “I have been on walkabout with the Duchess of Cambridge.
“She never looks at the camera.”
Philip and Kate formed an ‘unexpected’ friendship as the pair often sat together at royal events and even shared a similar sense of humour.
Prince William reflected on Kate and Philip’s relationship in his moving tribute to the Duke when he passed away in 2021, writing: “I will always be grateful that my wife had so many years to get to know my grandfather and for the kindness he showed her.”
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.birminghammail.co.uk ’
