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Kate Middleton has landed on her feet as the monarchy’s brightest star, and Prince William is clearly enjoying the view.
“It’s not just about duty,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. “Prince William is not only proud, but he is smitten. He watches Princess Catherine and lights up. After more than a decade of marriage and three children, he is still completely enchanted by her.”
“Few marriages have deepened in public admiration the way theirs has,” Chard said. “They have achieved something very difficult — they have carved out a private life that works, and a public life that works. That balance is a great success.”
PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON ARE READY TO LEAD THE MONARCHY, SOURCES SAY: ‘THANK GOD THEY’VE GOT EACH OTHER’
Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales are seen here at the DMMI Royal Charity Polo Cup 2026 in Windsor, England, on July 10, 2026. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Chard’s comments came shortly after former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told The Mirror that the Prince and Princess of Wales have emerged as a power couple for the royal family, with Kate as its crown jewel.
Prince William drives a tractor alongside Catherine, Princess of Wales, during clean-up activities at Ettrick Bay on the Isle of Bute, Scotland, on Sept. 17, 2026. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
“William and Catherine definitely have the wow factor that Diana had — and which spawned Di-mania,” Bond told the outlet. “People today are equally mesmerized by the new Princess of Wales, so tall, so elegant and so chatty, but William just seems to purr with pride that his wife is such a star.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales, who also hold the titles of Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, recently visited Scotland to celebrate community, connection and volunteering. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Christopher Andersen, author of “Kate!,” agreed.
WATCH: KATE MIDDLETON IS THE MONARCHY’S SECRET WEAPON: AUTHOR
“The British people adore Kate in the same way they adored Princess Diana, the daughter-in-law she never met,” Andersen told Fox News Digital. “But rather than be jealous of his wife the way King Charles was jealous of Diana’s popularity, William is more than content to let Kate shine. In fact, there are times when he is perfectly happy to bask in her reflected glory.”
Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, visit Ettrick Bay during a royal visit to the Isle of Bute on Sept. 17, 2026, in Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Scotland. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
“Kate has been William’s rock for a quarter-century, and vice versa,” Andersen continued. “What they have is the real thing. And I think Kate’s cancer battle gave them a whole new perspective on life and a renewed appreciation of each other. It’s all well and good to be proper and stiff in that British way, but why go to such lengths to hide their deep affection for each other? The spontaneous hugs, the loving looks — why wouldn’t William be bursting with pride?”
“Kate continues to prove she is the royal family’s Mary Poppins — ‘practically perfect in every way,'” Andersen added.
Kate Middleton and Prince William walk with their 13-year-old son, Prince George, as he arrives for his first day at Eton College on Sept. 8. (Getty Images)
Bond told the Mirror that while William is “pretty dashing and gets his fair share of crowd worship,” his reaction to Kate’s popularity contrasts sharply with that of his parents.
During the king’s marriage to the late Princess of Wales, royal watchers and photographers would clamor just to get a glimpse of her. Reports over the years have said Charles struggled with the attention Diana received.
Diana, Princess of Wales, attends a banquet in Nova Scotia, Canada, wearing the Queen Mary tiara on June 15, 1983. (Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images)
In her controversial 1995 “Panorama” interview, Diana recalled a royal tour in 1983, saying, “We’d be going round Australia, for instance, and all you could hear was, ‘Oh, she’s on the other side.'”
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Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, visit Newcastle during their tour of Australia in March 1983. Diana wears a pink Catherine Walker dress and a hat by John Boyd. (Getty Images)
“Now, if you’re a man like my husband, a proud man, you mind about that if you hear it every day for four weeks,” Diana said. “And you feel low about it, instead of feeling happy and sharing it.”
The former Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales, attend the Gulf War Victory Parade at Mansion House on June 21, 1991, in London. The couple announced their separation in 1992. (Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)
Diana said it caused “a lot of jealousy” and that “complicated situations arose because of that.” Charles and Diana separated in 1992, and their divorce was finalized in 1996, a year before she died at age 36.
“Luckily, William doesn’t seem to suffer the same jealousy that his father did when Diana was the darling of the crowds,” Bond said.
Kate Middleton and Prince William hold hands as they attend the DMMI Royal Charity Polo Cup. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Following Kate’s May visit to Italy, William said he was “very, very proud” of her.
“Rather than Prince William being jealous, his delight regarding her success is palpable,” British royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. “Part of his joy is no doubt due to her strengthening the monarchy rather than detracting from it. His admiration for her is visible via his adoring glances and his general ease with her popularity.”
William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales arrive ahead the state banquet for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Budenbender at Windsor Castle on Dec. 3, 2025, in Windsor, England (Aaron Chown – Pool/Getty Images)
“They have a jolly competitive spirit due to their love of sports, but they are also totally united,” Fordwich said. “It’s brilliant, both for their marriage and for the future of the monarchy.”
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Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Prince William, Prince of Wales, leave the royal wedding of Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling at All Saints Church in Kemble, England, on June 6, 2026. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
William and Kate first met as students at the University of St Andrews. They became friends before their romance blossomed. In 2007, the couple split, with William later saying, “It was very much trying to find our own way, and we were growing up.” They got back together that same year, and William proposed in 2010. They married in 2011.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are parents to three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. William is heir to the throne.
HRH Prince William, the Prince of Wales, sits with his children Prince George and Princess Charlotte in the Royal Box during the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships on July 12, 2026, in London. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)
“He doesn’t just see a wife,” Chard said. “He sees the perfect future queen. Someone who can live in relative privacy while being in the public eye, which is exactly what the monarchy needs to survive. They also genuinely still adore each other. It’s not performed for cameras.”
Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales walk in the orchards as they visit to Long Meadow Cider on Oct. 14, 2025, in Craigavon, Northern Ireland. The Prince and Princess of Wales are celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary on April 29, 2026. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
“The public held a torch for Diana as they do for Princess Catherine now,” Chard said. “William is also loved, but together, they have something more powerful than individual star power. He knows how valuable she is.”
Chard also said William wants his wife to shine and feel confident in her royal role.
Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales visit Bute Shinty Club during a royal visit to the Isle of Bute on Sept. 17, 2026, in Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Scotland. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
“He loves the fact that she is loved,” Chard said. “He is in awe. It reminds him, in the best way, of the love his late mother received from the public. When he watches a crowd reach for Catherine, he doesn’t see a rival for attention. He sees the woman he loves being adored, and he adores her all the more for it.”
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Prince William, Prince of Wales, known as the Duke of Rothesay and Catherine, Princess of Wales, known as the Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, smile to well-wishers as they arrive for a visit to Aros Hall, a local community hub on April 29, 2025, in Tobermory, Scotland. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Royal watchers told Fox News Digital that Kate has grown increasingly confident in her role as she supports the king. Charles has continued carrying out royal duties following his cancer diagnosis. Andersen said Kate will be ready when the time comes for her to take on a greater role.
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Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales (left) and Prince William, Prince of Wales attend a ceremonial welcome for France’s president and his wife at Windsor Castle on July 8, 2025. (Dominique Jacovides/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“William and Kate are doing their very demanding jobs with a smile, and that is largely due to Kate’s innate positivity,” Andersen said. “It’s not overstating things to say the Princess of Wales is a force of nature, and every day William is reminded of that.”