A royal expert has weighed in on Kate Middleton's relationship with the media, claiming the future Queen has played the royal game "more cleverly than anyone." Catherine Mayer, author of the upcoming book Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles, offered her analysis on the Princess of Wales' reputation in the United Kingdom compared to Meghan Markle, and the subtle tools she uses to gain press favor.
Speaking via the Daily Mail, Mayer noted that women have often been pitted against each other within the royal family, as seen between Princess Diana and Queen Camilla, Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, and now Kate and Meghan. "Irreproachable Kate is held up in contrast to flawed Meghan, an outcome damaging for both women, even if Kate herself has played an astute role in creating her public image," Mayer wrote.
The royal author revealed that the 44-year-old's love of photography, frequently displayed on social media, is not merely a passion but a strategic tool to shape public perception. Middleton regularly shares candid pictures and videos of her husband Prince William, 43, and their children George, 12, Charlotte, 11, and Louis, eight, on Instagram, offering glimpses into life behind palace walls.
However, Mayer argues this is more than sharing memories. "Courtiers credit her with what has proved to be a wise strategy of providing the media with photographs of her family on a regular basis," she explained, adding that Middleton's self-taken images mimic "authenticity" and market the Waleses as "super-humanised." The princess counters deception in the public eye not with dry facts, but with "hyper-emotive content," Mayer said. Reminding readers that Kate holds an Art History degree from St Andrews, Mayer stated: "There is no doubt she understands art and imagery as a tool of communication."
Mayer's forthcoming book examines the lives of eight royal women, offering a feminist analysis of the monarchy across generations. "My aim is to get to the truth of who these women were or are," Mayer said on Instagram, adding that "attitudes" toward them "affect all of us." Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles will be available in Australia from June 16.
