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Prince Philip had a blunt warning for Kate Middleton about surviving royal life.<\/p>\n
Hello! magazine<\/a> recently revisited Gyles Brandreth\u2019s 2021 book, \u201c<\/i>Philip: The Final Portrait,\u201d<\/a> which claimed the Duke of Edinburgh gave the future Princess of Wales his no-nonsense \u201cgolden rule\u201d for making it as a senior member of the British royal family.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you think the attention is on you personally, you\u2019ll end up in trouble,\u201d Philip told her, as quoted by the outlet. \u201cThe focus is on your role, what you do, what you support. It\u2019s not focused on you as an individual. You\u2019re not a celebrity. You represent the royal family.\u201d<\/p>\n PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE\u2019S WEDDING DAY SPARKED PROFANE REACTION FROM PRINCE PHILIP: BOOK<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n According to Brandreth, the late queen\u2019s husband<\/a> told Kate that one crucial way to avoid feeling like a star was to \u201cnever look at the camera\u201d when photographers were present. He stressed that Queen Elizabeth II never looked at the camera, but instead at the person she was speaking with.<\/p>\n Brandreth noted that Philip, who supported his wife for more than seven decades, served as a mentor to the younger royals. He worried they might be consumed by fame, casting aside duty and service.<\/p>\n Philip was reportedly \u201crelieved\u201d that his grandson Prince William, heir to the throne<\/a>, had found a \u201clevel-headed girl\u201d like Kate.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been on walkabouts with [the Princess of Wales],\u201d said Brandreth. \u201cShe does not look at the camera. Whenever she is interviewed, Catherine talks about the matter at hand, never about herself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that Philip\u2019s advice continues to shape Kate\u2019s role as a beloved senior royal.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was taught by the best,\u201d said Chard. \u201cPrince Philip reminded her that she wasn\u2019t a celebrity. She represents the royal family<\/a>. She needs to dedicate herself to a life of service, concentrate on the job at hand and never smile directly at the camera.\u00a0<\/p>\n WATCH: KATE MIDDLETON\u2019S COLLEGE PAL RECALLS BEFRIENDING THE FUTURE PRINCESS OF WALES<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe Princess of Wales\u2019s deep humility<\/a> and discretion, along with Philip\u2019s advice in dealing with life in the spotlight, has given her the strength to breeze through challenging media firestorms.\u201d<\/p>\n British royal expert Hilary Fordwich<\/a> told Fox News Digital it was easy for Kate to follow Philip\u2019s advice.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the many reasons Princess Catherine has followed his advice was due to the national respect she always garnered,\u201d Fordwich explained. \u201cShe also values tradition, service, as well as stability.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe implored her to always focus on the role, that of dedication and duty, not on herself,\u201d said Fordwich. \u201cThat\u2019s why she avoids seeking public attention for personal fame. He made it blatantly clear that royalty and celebrity are two completely different things. Philip\u2019s advice has helped her preserve the monarchy\u2019s respected public image, rendering her as one of the most level-headed, grounded, popular, revered and trusted members of the royal family.\u201d<\/p>\n Royal experts previously said Kate was touched by her exchanges with Philip. Biographer Penny Junor told the U.K.\u2019s Daily Mail<\/a> that despite not having an aristocratic background, Kate mastered palace rules with ease.<\/p>\n \u201cKate shines in her own light, but she knows her place in the royal family,\u201d Junor told the outlet. \u201cI think Kate is a bit like Prince Philip, who has always supported Queen Elizabeth II.\u201d<\/p>\n LIKE WHAT YOU\u2019RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Kate and William are also said to be inspired by the longevity of Elizabeth and Philip\u2019s union, Vanity Fair<\/a> reported. The couple were married for 73 years until Philip died in 2021 at age 99. Queen Elizabeth, Britain\u2019s longest-reigning monarch, died in 2022 at age 96. William and Kate are believed to want to set an example not only for their three young children but for the nation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe late Queen Elizabeth made a huge success of her long life of service,\u201d said Chard. \u201cHer beloved Philip was her constant strength and guide. Princess Catherine is happy to be part of the bigger picture, the glue of the royal family. She is still scrutinized by the public and photographers, yet she handles the spotlight with grace and sheer dedication to the royal family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Princess of Wales holds star power by shining in her own light,\u201d Chard added.<\/p>\n And Kate wasn\u2019t the only Princess of Wales who turned to Philip for guidance.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen [Princess Diana] found the restrictions of royal life difficult, it was Philip who helped her,\u201d Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, wrote in her book, \u201cPrince Philip Revealed.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOnce she was married, she never sat next to her husband; she always sat next to Philip at the endless black-tie dinners, and he took care of her,\u201d Seward wrote, as quoted by Hello! Magazine. \u201cDiana found the Balmoral dinners a massive strain and the atmosphere stifling. When the piper came around the table after dinner with his kilt swirling and his pipes whining, she couldn\u2019t wait to leave the room.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n