Over the weekend, the Mail published the first excerpts from Catherine Mayer’s new book, Divide & Rule. One excerpt is about the Princess of Wales, and one is about Meghan. Mayer isn’t a Meghan hater, but she’s not really a Meghan defender either. It was clear why, as I read the excerpt on Kate – Mayer thinks Kate is doing a brilliant job overall, and Mayer is a true-blue believer in Project Keen. As in, everything Kate does and says deserves grace, even when Kate has shown her true colors over and over again. And with all side-by-side comparisons of Meghan and Kate, the Kate defenders never really want to acknowledge the elephant in the room, which is that the Wales marriage is much, much different than the Sussex marriage. One marriage is based on true love. The other is… not. Some highlights:
So long, Fab Four: Only a few years ago that burden looked set to be shared. Both Kate and Meghan – along with their husbands dubbed the ‘Fab Four’ – were hailed as young superstars capable of revitalising the Windsor brand. Then, with astonishing speed, things fell apart. Today, the royal ranks are fractured and depleted. Amid controversies and with the former prince Andrew enmeshed in scandal, support for the monarchy is dwindling in the UK, especially among younger populations, while overseas realms are heading for the exit.
Cracks in Kate’s armor: Meghan said Kate had made her cry during a disagreement over bridesmaids dresses and not, as widely reported, the other way round. Harry’s memoir, Spare, painted his sister-in-law as painfully brittle, impervious to Meghan’s charm and ‘on edge’ over being ‘compared to, and forced [by the media], to compete with’ the newcomer. He describes Kate gripping her seat so tightly that her fingers turn white as she demands an apology from Meghan for ascribing a moment of forgetfulness to ‘baby brain’. ‘We’re not close enough for you to talk about my hormones,’ she admonishes. If Kate is tempted to put up fences, it is easy to understand why.
Facing down Hurricane Meghan: Her media management looks majestic given the headwinds she has faced down since ‘Hurricane Meghan’ blew in. Both women swiftly found themselves defined against each other, polarised and polarising, with Kate accused of racism by Meghan’s fans. But who knows where Kate might stand in public affection had there been no such squalls?
Drab & Lazy: Because the truth is, Kate’s life in the public eye has never been plain sailing. She has been criticised as boring, drab and workshy. A running complaint that dogged the Cambridges in the early years of their marriage was their perceived failure to do their bit for the family firm.
Kate’s never been eager to talk about art, despite studying it at university: Might the speculation about Kate’s choices in higher education have some basis in fact after all? Until this moment, I had dismissed gossip about how she came to enrol on the same course as William at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Kate took A levels in Art and Mathematics, netting top marks in both. Her grades guaranteed her place to read Art History at the University of Edinburgh, her first choice. Then, inexplicably, she decided to take a gap year, spending part of it in Chile with Raleigh International, missing Prince William by weeks. He had revealed his plans in a television interview. A revision to her universities application form then pitched her into unprecedented competition to study Art History at St Andrews. Widely considered less prestigious than the Edinburgh course, this programme was now suddenly and wildly oversubscribed, with applications spiking by 44 per cent on the news that William would be among its next intake.
Stalker Kate: ‘The Middletons must have discussed and supported the gamble their daughter was taking in full knowledge of the Prince William dimension,’ observed royal author Robert Lacey. ‘What other rationale could there have been for this last-minute swerve?’ I provide some answers to that question in my book. Her long courtship with William – they duly met at St Andrew’s in 2001 and got engaged in 2010 – was, said the prince, ‘to give her a chance to see in and to back out if she needed to before it all got too much.’ Unlike most other royal fiancées, including Meghan, Kate understood a good deal about the life she was agreeing to lead. That is not the same thing as being protected from its downsides however.
Kate’s cancer-free video in 2024: Kate, the Art History graduate, has watched the analogue shots fired by palace press teams glancing off the incoming barrage of digital deepfakes like arrows hitting a tank. So she has brought updated weapons to the fray, fighting deception not with dry facts but hyper-emotive content.
As I said, it’s the eagerness to give Kate grace, regardless of how often Kate shows her true colors. The biggest problem for Kate’s defenders (Mayer among them) is that in the past five years or so, the mask slipped in several ways. We saw in real time how Kate treated Meghan, how Kate pushed racist narratives about Meghan, and how Kate stood back and allowed a pregnant woman to be scapegoated. Prince Harry barely even discussed Kate in Spare, but what he did write about her gave a real glimpse into her uptight, melodramatic, mean-girl personality. Even the most generous royal biographers can’t escape the fact that Kate and her family stalked William and did everything they could to keep him ensnared. If Mayer doesn’t even discuss the 2024 Frankenphoto, I’m going to completely dismiss this book as just more Waity propaganda.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- Prince William and his bride Kate leave Westminster Abbey, London, after their wedding.,Image: 503721139, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries call London + 44 (0)20 7421 6000 , New York + 1 646-329-6242 or Hamburg + 49 (0)40 530 240 5959, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: /Avalon
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- The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at Machan Coffee bar in the centre of Birmingham which was ransacked during the recent looting riots.,Image: 521579273, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries call London + 44 (0)20 7421 6000 , New York + 1 646-329-6242 or Hamburg + 49 (0)40 530 240 5959, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
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- BURTON-UPON-TRENT, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 09: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge look on during the official launch of The Football Association’s National Football Centre at St George’s Park on October 9, 2012 in Burton-upon-Trent, England.,Image: 538067107, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 646 717 6785 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: /Avalon
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- William – The Prince of Wales and Catherine – The Princess of Wales arrive for the Coroation at Westminster Abbey, London, England, UK on Saturday 6 May, 2023.,Image: 774187119, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales at The Coronation of King Charles III at London”s Westminster Abbey 06 May 2023,Image: 774252025, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Mark Stewart / Avalon
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- April 28, 2011: Kate Middleton arrivest at the Goring Hotel in London, UK today with her sister, Philippa Middleton, aka “Pippa,” and her mother Carole Middleton. Kate will marry HRH Prince William in a lavish ceremony tomorrow morning. Credit: INFphoto.com Ref: inffr-01/120603 Featuring: Kate Middleton, Catherine Middleton, Pippa Middleton, Philippa M Where: London, United Kingdom When: 28 Apr 2011 Credit: INFphoto.com **U.S. SALES ONLY.**
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- September 5, 2007: Kate Middleton seen out and about in London today. Credit: N/C Ref: kguk-81 Featuring: Kate Middleton Where: London, United Kingdom When: 05 Sep 2007 Credit: N/C
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- Annual Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey Featuring: Catherine Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 09 Mar 2026 Credit: Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR HELLO MAGAZINE**
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- Royals attending the Easter Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 05 Apr 2026 Credit: Mischa Schoemaker/ **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- The Princess of Wales attends a wreath laying ceremony and parade commemorating Anzac Day at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, central London Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 25 Apr 2026 Credit: Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR HELLO MAGAZINE**
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- The Princess of Wales during her visit to “Salvador Allende” Scuola dell’infanzia in Reggio Emilia, to view education in nature, on the second day of her visit to Italy. The visit to the area focuses on early childhood development and forms part of a high-level fact-finding mission to explore leading international approaches to supporting young children and those who care for them Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Reggio Emilia, Italy When: 14 May 2026 Credit: Cover Images
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- The Princess of Wales during her visit to “Salvador Allende” Scuola dell’infanzia in Reggio Emilia, to view education in nature, on the second day of her visit to Italy. The visit to the area focuses on early childhood development and forms part of a high-level fact-finding mission to explore leading international approaches to supporting young children and those who care for them Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Reggio Emilia, Italy When: 14 May 2026 Credit: Cover Images
Keen soumds like such a snob and for a supposedly normal upbringing acts more entitled than royals. And lazy as all get out.
If she’s going to talk about deepfakes and social media without mentioning the Frankenphoto….then yikes. (and I know this is just an excerpt so maybe she does in the book.)
I did find it funny when Kate went to Italy last month and there was such talk about her gap year in Italy, but no one mentioned her time in Chile that was meant to overlap with William but didn’t work out timing wise. Wasn’t she only in Italy for a few months at most? For some reason I thought it was just a month.
And as for the switch to St Andrews – yes, the only logical explanation for it is that she was switching to be in William’s orbit. I thought she put in for the switch before his attendance was officially announced, because she had friends in his circle (obtained through her placement at Marlborough) that gave her the inside info?
I’ll give her and her mother credit – they played the long game here. She’s miserable and wasting away before our eyes, but she and her mother got what they wanted.
A perfect example of be careful what you wish for.
Honestly, someone could make it into a psychological or gothic thriller/horror movie or book. Kind of like the movie Spencer but with a more longitudinal focus.
She only went to Florence in the first place because there had widely been rumors that William would spent part of his gap year there to prepare to study art history. Somehow he didn’t end up going, but even her time in Italy was her trying to stalk him!! (Edinburgh Uni was for a long time considered the top choice for him to attend, St Andrews came a little as a surprise, influenced, I think, by his house master at Eton)
Wow, Wills has really aged like spoiled milk. It’s probably a reflection of his jealousy and how much he hates his own life.
As far as I’m concerned his wife has aged just as poorly as Peggy has, especially when you see her pre marriage photos. They deserve the faces they have imo.
I believe Kate changed universities to try and break into William’s social circle so she might date and possibly marry one of his awful friends. That way she could be a royal hanger-on. But I actually don’t think she had enough confidence in herself (nor did Carole in her) to go after him for actual marriage at first. They had ambitions for a great social marriage, but probably not William. They likely thought he would end up with aristocracy (although all the aristos knew better than to date William let alone marry him). When it became clear it was possible, then she (and Carole) hung on for dear life. As for the cracks in her armor and her “brittle”ness, that’s what happens when you marry someone who has “incandescent rage” attacks when things don’t go exactly the way they want. People do get ill when their spouse is a constant source of volatile negativity…
Would she not have had the chance to meet aristos at Edinburgh too? Or was the point to get into his inner circle, adjacent to an actual Royal if not partnered with him?
Kate was already part of that circle, albeit on the outskirts which is why she knew about him switching Uni’s before it go out to the press. The game was to get closer to him at Uni – hence the rumours that she slept with his friends before getting to him.
There is a LOT about her stalking at St Andrews that got scrubbed from the internet when they got engaged. Her stalking and his behaviour were the talk of the campus.
There was a forum with a lot of St Andrews alum back in the day that spilled a lot of the stories but it has been shut down for a while. I never read what was in it but there was a lot of tea spilled. I am pretty sure that’s where the story of William cheating on his first year girlfriend with Kate was revealed at a party came from.
There has been an enormous PR effort over the years to sell Kate as an art lover and a cultured woman, but where is the evidence? As a girlfriend and now as Princess of Wales, she has shown remarkably little engagement with the arts. She barely seems interested in her arts patronages, and I can’t recall her ever being a regular visitor to museums, galleries, major exhibitions, the opera, the theatre, or the ballet.
She doesn’t come across as a passionate film buff or an avid reader either. For someone whose supposed love of art was once presented as a defining characteristic, that passion appears largely absent from her public life. The only artistic pursuits we really see are her fairly ordinary sketches and her photography, which, frankly, is not particularly impressive. I’d argue Harry has taken better photographs than many of the ones released under Kate’s name.
She isn’t known as a patron of a museum, she hasn’t been associated with any significant conservation projects, and she hasn’t used her position to champion the arts in any meaningful or sustained way.
That’s why I’ve always been skeptical of the narrative that art was some great passion of hers. It feels more like a carefully crafted image than something reflected in her actual interests or activities.
Compare that to someone like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who had a genuine interest in art, history, and culture. As First Lady and long after leaving the White House, she was actively involved in historic preservation and cultural initiatives. Her interests translated into tangible projects and lasting contributions.
With Kate, the supposed passion for art has never really evolved into anything substantial. After more than twenty years in the public eye, there is still very little evidence of a deep engagement with the arts beyond occasional photo opportunities, some amateur sketches, and her photography projects. If art were truly one of her defining passions, you would expect to see a much stronger record by now
I think she majored in art history because it was considered an appropriate major for a girl looking to snag a rich husband. Think Charlotte York in SATC.
There is a reason why Kate ended up being the only female sharing an apartment (or house) with William and his friends. According to Robert Lacey, William was dating someone else when Kate moved in, but that soon changed.
My question is, did she move in before or after wearing a see-through slip and black underware outfit on that Catwalk at St. Andrews?
The story (or gossip from the campus at the time) was that the fashion show was to get him to notice her – what started off as hooking up behind his girlfriends back become more as she wouldn’t let him go. She was his beck and call girl for many many years – she put up with being treated like trash because she wanted the ring. She ran after him, she went to his classes and took notes for him, she cooked for him which is why she ended up sharing that house with him and his friends – she was his personal maid (with benefits) to to speak.
As someone that’s kept up with this for years, it is kind of funny to see people read these articles for the first time. Or “come to the conclusion” that’s been widely accepted for over a decade.
The one thing I will say that kind of bugs me is when people bring up St Andrews being less prestigious: I mean it is, in the rankings, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not an excellent school in its own right. In 2001, St Andrews was ranked as being #19 in the UK. It’s like switching from Harvard to NYU (I think they’re #19 in 2026?). Nobody is ever going to say that NYU isn’t also great. I believe St Andrews has also risen in the ranks over the years, probably from the added prestige.
I think it’s more that St Andrews is less prestigious for someone who claims to be passionate about art and wants to study it. Edinburgh offered a better program, at least at the time.
St Andrews is a prestigious university – however it all depends on what you want to study as its better for some area’s than others. Edinburgh is ranked higher as its a massive research Uni and has a more comprehensive range of subjects. St Andrews is smaller and known for its smaller class sizes and personalised teaching (and is suited to the arts, humanities etc..).
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again but Kate didn’t do anything different than what other woman did. She changed her university and life plans in order to be Prince William’s wife. And to her credit, she’s “won”. Yes we can say it’s an awful life but it is what Kate wanted. Also huge credit goes to her family especially her mother. Keeping William was and still is a huge family project.
And at the end of the day, they won’t divorce so Kate will be Queen. She’s successfully ensured her family a place in the history books, royal family tree and are set for life. Game salutes game.
But let’s not act like it’s a great love story. I’m aware that they can’t say this all plainly. But they also don’t have to dress it up as a fairytale either.
I’m absolutely not saying this is true of all people who study art history, but it does seem like a course of study that’s particularly suited to a woman who’s at university to earn her MRS more than her actual degree. Studying art history gives you an air of sophistication, but it doesn’t on its own suggest you have hard-charging ambitious career goals. It is the kind of degree that looks good if you plan to lead a life of volunteerism and serving on committees and organizing benefits, but it would never outshine your husband’s degree or his work. And if it turns out you don’t particularly enjoy or excel at studying art history, it’s easy enough to deflect when you get called out on it because you can always say you specialized in some other era or genre or artist. So did Kate have a passion for art history? Of course not. But it was a perfect way to check the boxes of what she was really at St. Andrews to do.
Those of us old enough to remember know that William wasn’t stalling for Kate – he did not want to be forced into an early marriage, I think he said in an interview he wanted to be at least 30.
I think he was resisting the couriers using him/his wedding and marriage as PR for as long as possible. Kate just happened to still be there and nobody else was interested. In no way was he doing any of it for her.