Royal honors and freaky choppers never got between them. Did the queen have a
favorite granddaughter-in-law? We might have just found her.
Two years after Kate Middleton and Prince William got married, they moved from Anmer Hall in Norfolk
to Kensington Palace. Due to the fact that Kensington Palace is within walking distance
of Queen Elizabeth's residence, Buckingham Palace, the pair was able to meet with one another often.
A royal family insider told Us Weekly that Queen Elizabeth and Middleton would often enjoy
afternoon tea together. However, these meetings were also business-minded, as Queen Elizabeth was
aware that Middleton will likely become Queen of England in the future. The insider told Us Weekly:
"Other times, they'll have more formal meetings,
where the queen will give intense one-on-one training about taking on the crown."
Royal duties aside, Middleton has often spoken about the queen's adoration of
her great-grandchildren. Back in 2016, Middleton revealed that her eldest son,
Prince George, called his great-grandmother "Gan-Gan."
It's also been clear over the years that Middleton borrowed from the queen's style.
Her Majesty was known for wearing bright colors on public outings, and Middleton followed suit,
even borrowing some of the queen's jewels on occasion, according to People.
Many admire Kate Middleton and Prince William's relationship,
and even Queen Elizabeth approved. Middleton and William started dating while attending university,
and their romance withstood the test of time, despite the doubts of some royal family members.
"I do the talking bit, she's gonna do the fun bit."
Stepping into the royal family can't exactly be easy, but according to royal biographer
Andrew Morton, the couple's relationship had the queen's stamp of approval
because she realized Middleton wasn't in it for the fame or the status. Morton told OK!:
"The thing about Kate is, the queen was impressed she adored and loved William for himself,
not for his title. She spends a lot more time supporting and nurturing the relationship
between William and Catherine than she did with Charles and Diana."
He added that the queen very much saw Middleton and William
as the future of the monarchy. In his book, "The Queen,"
Morton recalls how excited Her Majesty was on the day of Middleton and William's wedding. He wrote:
"The queen was positively playful on the day of her grandson's nuptials,
'practically skipping' according to one observer,
absolutely thrilled at the way the public had reacted to the royal newlyweds."
Queen Elizabeth and Kate Middleton had a very special relationship,
and the two clearly enjoyed spending time in each other's company. After marrying Prince William in
2011, Middleton was spotted accompanying the queen on her Diamond Jubilee tour in 2012.
Not only did the tour serve as a means to officially introduce Middleton as one of the
royal family members, but it also revealed the special bond she shared with the queen,
with various photographs showing the two of them laughing while in conversation.
Her Majesty and the Duchess continued to grow closer, and in 2019,
they went to visit King's College London and were photographed sharing a blanket
in the back of the car — more proof of their close friendship. Middleton also
apparently had a very sweet nickname for the queen. The editor of Majesty magazine,
Ingrid Seward, revealed that Middleton reportedly called the queen "mama."
"And I think as soon as we came back here to Kensington, she was one of our first visitors."
Another source told Us Weekly that Middleton frequently asked the queen's advice when she
was working on speeches or wanted to know more about royal protocols.
Even though Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth shared an amazing bond,
they didn't always see eye to eye on everything.
Middleton and Prince William failed to follow royal protocol when they went on a trip in the
summer of 2022, traveling together in a helicopter with their children in tow.
While Middleton and William likely didn't feel like they were taking a major risk,
the queen definitely didn't agree. In fact, The Sun reported that a close
source to the royal family revealed that the queen was terrified of something going wrong in the air.
She also didn't see helicopters as the safest mode of transport. The source explained:
"It keeps the queen awake at night and she is understandably very worried.
She knows William is a capable pilot but does not
think it is worth the risk. [...] It would spark a constitutional crisis."
Middleton and William likely got a very stern talking to after their trip.
There's no doubt that Queen Elizabeth was fond of Kate Middleton,
and she showed her affection by gifting Middleton with the Royal Family Order,
a rare honor that is bestowed solely on the female members of the royal family — and it's
not awarded to just anyone. Majesty magazine editor Joe Little told the Royally Us podcast:
"It's something that is only given to the female members of the royal family
who have been around for quite some time and are deemed to be of great support to the queen.
So, not every member, not every female member of the royal family has got it but Kate now has."
Little added that the queen honoring Middleton in this way meant that she had "great trust" in her.
Middleton has since proven that she is deserving of this rare honor multiple times.
An inside source told Us Weekly that the queen knew she could rely on Middleton
and Prince William no matter what,
and that Middleton was a great comfort to Her Majesty when the pandemic hit in 2020.
On September 8, 2022, the royal family headed to Balmoral Castle
after doctors informed them that Queen Elizabeth's health was rapidly declining,
but many noticed that Kate Middleton didn't join the rest of her family.
While it seemed odd at first, People reports that Middleton likely stayed behind so she could
be there for her kids, who had just started attending their new school. It's natural that
Middleton wanted to be there for them as they start this new journey. However, the Duchess
did recently spend time with the queen when her family visited her during the summer at Balmoral.
Although she did not get to say goodbye at the end,
Middleton and William took to their official Instagram account to announce the queen's death.