In the twelve years since Kate Middleton joined the monarchy—first becoming the Duchess of Cambridge and then the Princess of Wales—she has rarely spoken publicly about her relationships with other members of the royal family.
Exceptions were made, however, when it came to Queen Elizabeth II, with Kate taking part in a 90th-birthday documentary for the monarch in 2016, sharing never-before-heard anecdotes about life as the granddaughter-in-law to the most famous woman in Britain.
Since the monarch’s death in 2022, Kate has maintained her reluctance to speak about the personal lives of the royals, though noted at the time that her family was grieving along with the public.
Here, Newsweek looks at everything the Princess of Wales has said publicly about Queen Elizabeth II.
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‘Very Friendly’
Kate’s first public comment about the queen was made in November 2010 during the official interview marking her engagement to Prince William.
During the joint sit-down with her future husband, Kate revealed to broadcaster Tom Bradby that she had first met the monarch at the wedding of Peter Philips, Elizabeth’s eldest grandson and son of Princess Anne.
The future royal said that Elizabeth has been “very friendly” on that occasion, with William adding: “She was very welcoming…she’d wanted to meet Kate for a while, so it was very nice for her to come over and say hello and have a little chat.”
Engagement Interview, November 2010
“I first met her at Peter and Autumn’s wedding and again it was amongst a lot of other guests and she was very friendly and no it was fine.”
‘Love For Her Family’
Kate has rarely given interviews since marrying Prince William in 2011. However, she made an exception when asked to contribute to an official royal documentary about Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday in 2016.
One insight was about the queen’s attitude as a great-grandmother to Kate’s children, Prince George (born 2013) and Princess Charlotte (born 2015).
The princess said that Elizabeth was “thrilled” when she and William welcomed their daughter to the family and that Prince George called the monarch “gan-gan.”
Our Queen at 90 Documentary, 2016
“It’s very special us having a new little girl to the family. Very lucky that George has got a little sister. The queen, she was really thrilled that it was a little girl and I think as soon as we came back here to Kensington [Palace] she was one of our first visitors here. I think she’s very fond of Charlotte, always watching what she’s up to. George is only two and a half and calls her ‘gan-gan.’ She always leaves a little gift or something in their room when we go and stay and that just shows, I think, her love for her family.”
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‘Very Supportive’
At another point in the documentary, Kate discussed how Elizabeth had been a supportive force for her in the royal family and had encouraged her in her work.
The princess described the monarch’s “gentle guidance” and recounted her nerves before first solo engagement with the queen without Prince William.
That the queen “took time” to make sure Kate was looked after was provided as an example of “shows how caring she is.”
Our Queen at 90 Documentary, 2016
“She’s been very generous in not sort of being forceful at all in any of her views, but I feel she’s been there as sort of a gentle guidance really for me.
“The most memorable engagement for me I suppose was an away day to Leicester and I went without William so I was rather apprehensive about that. I think there is a real art to walkabouts, everyone teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting so I think I’ve still got to learn a little bit more and pick up a few more tips I suppose. She was very supportive. The fact she took the time to make sure that I was happy and looked after for that particular occasion, which probably in everything that she’s doing is a very small element, which just shows how caring she is, really.”
‘Simple Things in Life’
In the documentary, Kate also revealed her surprise at how much Elizabeth loved “the simple things in life” when first getting to know her.
“You would expect a lot of grandeur and a lot of fuss and things,” she said, before voicing her admiration for the monarch’s down-to-earth touch.
Our Queen at 90 Documentary, 2016
“I suppose what’s really struck me is her love for the simple things in life. You would expect a lot of grandeur and a lot of fuss and things, but actually what really resonates with me is her love of simple things, the lack of fuss and I think that’s a special quality I think to have.”
‘Sense of Duty’
Among the many tributes made at the time of Elizabeth’s death in 2022, “duty” was a word often repeated.
In 2016, Kate noted this quality while also praising the decades of support offered to the monarch by her husband, Prince Philip.
“I think to do that by yourself I think would be a very, very lonely place to be,” she said before describing the “special” nature of the monarch’s relationship with Philip.
Our Queen at 90 Documentary, 2016
“All the time, William and I are so struck by the queen’s sense of duty and commitment and I think to do that by yourself I think would be a very, very lonely place to be but I think to have the support of your husband there by your side on those occasions and behind closed doors as well I think is really special.”
GEOFF PUGH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
‘She Really Cares’
A lighter anecdote shared by Kate about the queen saw her reveal that for her first Christmas spent with the royal family at their Sandringham estate in England, she was “worried” about what to give the monarch.
“I thought back to perhaps what would I give my own grandparents and I thought I’d make her something—which could have gone horribly wrong—but I decided to make some of my granny’s recipe for chutney,” she said.
The royal then told viewers that touchingly the queen had included her gift on the royal table the next day in a “simple gesture that went such a long way for me.”
Our Queen at 90 Documentary, 2016
“She really cares and she is hugely thoughtful. I can remember being at Sandringham for the first time at Christmas and I was worried what to give the queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking, ‘gosh what do I give her?’ And I thought back to perhaps what would I give my own grandparents and I thought I’d make her something—which could have gone horribly wrong—but I decided to make some of my granny’s recipe for chutney, and was slightly worried about it but I noticed the next day that that it was on the table and I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me, and I’ve noticed since that she’s done that on lots of occasions, and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness really and her care in looking after everybody.”
‘She’s Now With Great-Grandpa’
When Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, members of the royal family issued statements to the public, with Prince William voicing gratitude for the two decades that Kate befitted from her advice and guidance, and also that his children were old enough to make memories with her.
In the days after the queen’s death Kate and William joined Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to meet well-wishers who had gathered outside Windsor Castle.
In one exchange caught on camera, Kate was overheard comforting a member of the public saying: “The whole nation’s having to be brave aren’t they.”
She then revealed that her youngest son, Prince Louis (born 2018) had comforted her by telling her that the queen was “with great-grandpa” Prince Philip, who had died a year earlier.
Princess of Wales to Member of the Public, Windsor, September 10, 2022.
“The whole nation’s having to be brave aren’t they? Don’t worry. I have plenty of moments like this too…My little Louis, he’s so sweet. He said: ‘Mommy don’t worry because she’s now with great-grandpa.'”
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.