“That word “selected” had rendered her passive, when in fact her behaviour thus far had suggested both an active intelligence and an unusual degree of self-discipline… Grace under consistent pressure is an admirable quality. Were a ballet dancer to execute a string of flawless performances, or a pilot to conduct numerous flights without incident, it would not be deemed evidence of an absence of character: quite the opposite. Yet in Kate — especially for those who increasingly conduct their lives online — serene self-possession seems to drive a proportion of onlookers insane….. many people deeply crave in a young and beautiful royal wife and mother is not competence, but crack-up” - Jenny McCartney - UnHerd

Princess Charlotte and Mia Tindall after attending the Christmas morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham on 25 December 2023

“There’s a photograph of her arriving at the abbey and looking over her shoulder directly into the camera. Compare it to one taken in the same place on her wedding day and see the transformation. There’s a steeliness to her gaze that wasn’t there 12 years ago. There’s an alchemy at work that the other royals must desperately wish they could bottle. It’s the title and the history and the clothes, sure. It’s about being comparatively young and slim and brushing up extremely well. As Prince William put it recently, bless him: ‘Oh, she always looks stunning.’ Yet it’s also the old-fashioned stuff, like posture. She looks as though she has spent the past 12 years balancing a book on her head, and who knows, maybe she has. Shoulders back, head up, ramrod straight in robes that weigh a ton, she swept up the aisle of that abbey.” (x)

Palace romance, a moment between the Prince and Princess of Wales at Buckingham Palace. 21/11/23

The Prince & Princess of Wales, accompained by The Duke & Duchess of Edinburgh, hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace in connection with the coronation of King Charles III. 

“There’s a photograph of her arriving at the abbey and looking over her shoulder directly into the camera. Compare it to one taken in the same place on her wedding day and see the transformation. There’s a steeliness to her gaze that wasn’t there 12 years ago. There’s an alchemy at work that the other royals must desperately wish they could bottle. It’s the title and the history and the clothes, sure. It’s about being comparatively young and slim and brushing up extremely well. As Prince William put it recently, bless him: ‘Oh, she always looks stunning.’ Yet it’s also the old-fashioned stuff, like posture. She looks as though she has spent the past 12 years balancing a book on her head, and who knows, maybe she has. Shoulders back, head up, ramrod straight in robes that weigh a ton, she swept up the aisle of that abbey.” (x)

Princess Anne in the Coronation Procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace, following the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, on 06 May 2023.

Princess Anne, on duty as Gold Stick-in-Waiting, riding in the coronation procession on 6 May 2023.