From looking amazing in photos to modernizing the monarchy, Princess Catherine can do it all.
It's easy to imagine that Catherine, Princess of Wales, is pretty much perfect.
She never has a hair out of place, she always picks the right outfit, and she manages to
make taking care of three children look easy.
But apparently, there are one or two things about Catherine that her family can't help
but tease her about.
In the ITV documentary Our Queen at Ninety, Catherine explained that her family thinks
she talks too much when she's out in public, saying,
"There's a real art to walkabouts, everybody teases me in the family that I spend far too
long chatting.
I still have to learn a little bit more, and to pick up a few more tips, I suppose."
While being too chatty is hardly a flaw, it sounds like her family always notices when
Catherine gets stuck in a conversation with a member of the public for a little too long.
Many royal fans probably know that Catherine, Princess of Wales, is, like the other royals,
very into sports.
But you may not have known that Catherine is also pretty musical.
As a child, Catherine played piano.
Although talented, Catherine never considered making her hobby a profession.
As her former teacher, Daniel Nicholls once told the BBC,
"I don't think she was ever going to be a concert pianist."
Catherine also played the flute and sang in the choir until she was 18 and even joined
her school's chamber orchestra called the "Tootie-Flooties."
Apparently, she even earned a Grade 5 music theory qualification.
"I do love my music, and Catherine as well."
If you think choosing good Christmas presents is hard, try joining the royal family.
While you may think that the royals would expect only the more expensive presents, apparently,
they also sometimes like to give handmade presents.
For her first royal Christmas, Catherine even gave the late Queen Elizabeth II a gift of
homemade chutney.
She recalled,
"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 should I give her?'"
She decided that instead of splurging on a pricey gift, she'd give something more personal
— her grandmother's recipe of chutney.
Apparently, the gift was a success — Catherine said she even noticed that it was sitting
on the table the next day, adding,
"I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me and I've noticed since she's
done that on lots of occasions and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really,
and her care in looking after everybody."
Let's face it — Catherine, Princess of Wales, always looks flawless, right down to her feet.
Even though she often spends all day on her feet, she often wears pretty uncomfortable-looking heels.
So how on Earth does she manage?
Well, according to etiquette expert Myka Meier, Catherine allegedly has a few tricks up her sleeve.
She wears non-slip tights from John Lewis along with gel strips that keep her feet in
place in her shoes On other occasions, she's worn Alice Bow insoles to keep her feet comfortable.
Of course, Catherine doesn't always wear heels.
At outdoor, sporty events, she is often seen wearing flats or even sneakers.
"On the left, a very keen amateur, on the right, the new queen of tennis."
Ever noticed that there aren't any bad pictures of Catherine?
How does she always look so perfect in her photos?
Well, according to experts, it's not due to her hair, her makeup, or even her genes.
Instead, it all comes down to a simple trick.
Stylist and fashion expert Miranda Holder told The Sun,
'Well, the Duchess of Cambridge has had some media training and I'm going to share a cheeky
little style hack that she uses every single time without fail.
She has simply been trained to always keep her chin parallel to the ground.
She doesn't tilt it down, she doesn't tilt it up, and that ensures a flattering photograph
every single time.”
Wait — does holding your head parallel to the ground ensure a good photo?
Apparently, it does!
Holder went on,
"I can tell you from years of working with supermodels, celebrities, and models, that
you can be the most gorgeous person in the world and still get a horrific photograph.
So it really is all about your relationship to the camera and where you place your jaw."
It sounds like good posture does make all the difference — and Catherine knows it.
While we all know that Catherine is one of the most stylish royals, you may not have
realized just how influential she is in the world of fashion.
According to the e-commerce company Lovethesales, Catherine was the most influential royal during
the Platinum Jubilee in 2022 when it came to fashion.
After her appearances at the event, searches for her clothes and outfits reportedly went
up by 400%, while Launchmetrics reported that people copying Catherine's outfits resulted
in millions of dollars of revenue for brands.
Searches for coat dresses went up by 87%, while searches for fascinators rose by 22%.
Meghan Markle came in a close second, with searches for her outfits rising by 82%.
Catherine's fashion influence has also reportedly translated into an increased interest in the
concept of recycling outfits, as she is a great advocate of eco-conscious fashion.
Catherine has one of the most recognizable names in the world.
So, it comes as no surprise to learn that Catherine doesn't use her name when she's
out and about and wants to keep a low profile.
As one royal source told Express, both Catherine and Prince William use the initials "DC" when
they're trying to disguise their identities.
The source explained,
"If anyone got hold of a phone belonging to a royal aide or security team member, they
won't find Harry Windsor and Meghan Markle's names in it.
It's far too risky in the wrong hands.
They are given codenames but they are changed regularly for obvious reasons."
Apparently, Catherine often goes by the name "Daphne Clark," while William is known as
"Danny Collins."
"Hello, everybody!"
However, on one occasion, Catherine used a different name.
Apparently, she once went into a watersports shop and asked the shop owner to put a wetsuit
on hold.
When he asked for her name, she reportedly said, "Mrs. Cambridge."
While we may never know all of the tensions that go on within the royal family, it's safe
to say that when Camilla, Queen Consort, married King Charles, things weren't exactly easy
for her.
According to Angela Levin, author of Camilla: From Outcast to Queen Consort, Princess Catherine
was there to help smooth things over.
Levin wrote,
"Fortunately, time helped improve Camilla's relationship with senior Royals, including
Prince William, largely thanks to the Princess of Wales, who is a peacemaker.
Camilla is also a conciliator and doesn't nurse grievances.
They both believe that supporting their husbands is a priority."
Since they both love the arts, Catherine and Camilla would go to art exhibitions together
when things got a little tense in the royal family.
Catherine also allegedly made an effort to spend time with Charles when things got difficult, too.
Most people would probably assume that members of the royal family do very little housework.
However, it turns out that Prince William and Princess Catherine are a little more hands-on
than you might've imagined.
"It is clear to me that it takes a whole community to help raise a child."
As Vanity Fair reported, Catherine likes to cook her children meals when they get home
from school.
And sometimes, the kids even help out, too.
Catherine likes to cook healthy foods that contain plenty of vegetables, along with her
specialty — vegetable curry.
She has also been known to make homemade pizzas.
She said once,
"I've done that with George and Charlotte — making pizza dough.
They love it because they can get their hands messy."
Catherine also makes a simple pasta dish.
Matthew Kleiner-Mann, chief executive of the Ivy Learning Trust, once said,
"She was telling us how much her children love cooking and how they cook for her.
They made cheesy pasta the other day.
One stirs the flour, one puts the milk and butter in.
And they make salads and stuff."
One thing Princess Catherine is not is outdated.
While many people believe the monarchy to be an archaic system, Catherine promises to
make small but important changes that will help to modernize the institution.
For one thing, it looks like Catherine will start giving more interviews as time goes
on in an effort to be more modern and open with the public.
A royal commentator, Erin Hill told Express,
"It's showing she's maybe going to put forth a more modern, open monarchy when, one day,
she becomes queen.
Which is exciting."
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliam agreed that Prince William and Catherine's approach was
decidedly more modern than the royals who came before her, telling AFP,
"They've been tremendously successful in protecting this mix of normality and royal status."
And, according to the Mirror, the couple even plans to go by their first names rather than
their titles.
It's clear that when Prince William eventually takes the throne, Catherine will be by his
side to help bring the monarchy into the modern world.
In the sixth and final season of Netflix's The Crown, Princess Catherine's storyline
will be introduced.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the young Catherine will be played by the 19-year-old
newcomer named Meg Bellamy.
Bellamy was the head girl at St Crispin's School in Wokingham before she submitted a
self-tape audition for the show.
The season will cover Prince William and Catherine's early years at St. Andrew's.
We don't yet know exactly how much of Catherine's story The Crown will cover, but it's safe
to say that the show will add its own flair to the story.
After all, the show doesn't purport to be factual.
In fact, in 2022, Buckingham Palace even released a statement to The Telegraph about how the
show fictionalized the royal family's story for the screen.
Even though The Crown may not give us Catherine's true story, it will still be fascinating to
see her romance with William play out on TV.
"And you said yes, obviously."
"Of course, yes, yes."
One thing's for sure — our fascination with the queen-to-be isn't about to die down any
time soon.