Low: Princess Kate is a lot tougher than her ‘slightly bland’ public persona

Valentine Low’s Courtiers is coming out in paperback, which is why the Times ran an exclusive several weeks ago with excerpts from some new chapters. Low’s sources insist that the now-Princess of Wales was particularly upset after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s 2021 Oprah interview. Low claims that Kate insisted that QEII’s statement post-interview include the phrase “recollections may vary.” Kate insisted on that because Kate had spent the better part of three years telling everyone in the family and everyone in the media that Meghan had made her cry, when really, Wedding Karen Kate had made Meghan cry. Well, Low is still shilling this book and he’s trying to promote it by saying that Kate is “steely” and yet she might also be very bland and an instigator. Of course, Low can’t come right out and say that, so here you go:

Kate Middleton is one tough cookie. Royal expert Valentine Low exclusively told Page Six in a recent interview that the royal, 41, is “tougher” than she lets on.

“Interestingly, behind the scenes, she’s a lot more steely, a lot tougher than we give her credit,” he said. “She’s this nice-looking woman, dresses nicely, smiles nicely, adopts sort of fairly uncontroversial charities. You know, they think she’s slightly bland.”

Low said one example of the Princess of Wales’ steeliness occurred after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, which aired in March 2021.

The Palace waited until the interview aired in the UK to issue a response and Low says in a new chapter for the paperback edition of his book “Courtiers,” that there the royal family split on how to respond.

“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning,” the statement from Queen Elizabeth II read at the time. “While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”

Low said that Jean-Christophe Gray, Prince William’s newly appointed private secretary, came up with the memorable line, “recollections may vary” in the statement, implying that the Palace disagreed about what had happened.

“There were some people in other [royal] households, who felt it would antagonize Harry and Meghan and would go down badly and just keep the whole unpleasantness going,” Low explained. “But it was Kate who really strongly made the argument,” he noted, adding that the mom of three wanted that line to stay in the statement so that Markle and Harry’s version of events wouldn’t be accepted as truth.

Low told us that Middleton is acutely aware that “she’s one day going to be Queen” and “thinks very carefully about the long-term security and strength and stability of the royal family as an institution.” He added, “She’s good. She has a good eye on the big picture, the long game.”

[From Page Six]

“They think she’s slightly bland.” I swear, Kate really is that bland. You can argue that she’s aiming for “uncontroversial” – and I think that’s true – but mostly, she really is that bland, that uninspired, that intellectually lazy. Of course Kate didn’t want the Sussexes’ version of events to be “accepted” – because even though Meghan took pains to go gently on Kate in particular, Kate came across like a huge a–hole. Even moreso in Prince Harry’s memoir. Kate was probably thrilled at the idea that “recollections may vary” would antagonize the Sussexes, because that seems to be her thing too.

Honestly though, one of the most surprising aspects of Low’s new chapters and these talking points about who came up with what line in the statement is that we’re definitely left with the impression, over and over again, that these people were issuing all kinds of statements in Queen Elizabeth II’s name and QEII had very little say in any of it. But tell me again that QEII “wanted” Camilla to be called “queen.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar.

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88 Responses to “Low: Princess Kate is a lot tougher than her ‘slightly bland’ public persona”

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  1. Couch Potato says:

    Nop! You can be diplomatic and not create controversy without being bland. You just pay attention, ask interesting questions and show signs of intelligence and know how.

    • Shawna says:

      Show signs of intelligence? In the royal family? No, I don’t think that’s allowed for a woman..

    • Jane says:

      I’m not buying all these intelligence, toughness of Mumbling that the gutter media are selling. Duchess Meghan is the toughest t and most intelligent of them all.

    • Wannabefarmer says:

      Not a single thing about this story rings true. Not. one. single. thing. Next they’ll be saying she’s the one that charles, the ‘never said a bad thing, never did a wise thing’ called Tungsten.

    • Ellie says:

      For Kate an Intelligent question was ‘do they still make Faberge eggs? Yup, Fine Arts and History degree.

  2. The Hench says:

    Mmm. Nothing we have seen about Kate so far suggests a strategic mastermind hidden behind the buttons and underneath the wiglets. I think it’s far more likely that CarolE dictated to Kate that the statement should stay in.

    But the image that’s being set up that Kate is no pushover is curious. Is it being done by CarolE to warn Wills that it will not be easy if he tries to get rid of her? Or is it coming from KP as a prelude for blaming plotting, dishonest Kate for the H&M fallout so that sympathy can be with William if he divorces her?

    • EasternViolet says:

      I think both can be the case here… William doing more solo events, Kate is bland and steely– all sounds like soft separation language to me.

    • Fawsia says:

      I doubted Kate or her mom were dictating any statement that was issued in her majesty’s name! Kate has no say in how her own children are raised or educated!

      • notasugarhere says:

        Kate. Is. No. Victim.

        Other than a husband who never loved her, whom she herself has never loved either? She’s gotten everything she wanted especially regarding the kids, their upbringing, and their schooling. She’s the one who has chosen to hire four nannies to do the child raising while she’s busy shopping, working out, and tracking William’s latest affair.

        Kate and the Midds have been working with the tabloids from Day One, way back in 1999. Carol(E) hired Fail editors as their personal PR consultants. They have cozy relationships with multiple paps and repeatedly approach paps for copies of pics for family photo albums. They quadrupled down on the lies about the wedding crying AND they’ve run a pro-Kate, anti-William PR campaign of their own for a decade.

        Because of those cozy relationships, it is even more interesting that the truth of her steely, bitchy persona is being written of now.

      • tamsin says:

        @notasugarhere
        Four nannies? They seem to only write about Nanny Maria. Where did you learn about the nannies? I can see one nanny for each child, but four? Gosh! Sounds so excessive.

      • Nic919 says:

        They had an overnight nanny when George was born in addition to nanny Maria. It is very unlikely they didn’t do the same for the other two when they were born. And there were definitely multiple nannies at the time of Harry and Meghan’s wedding because nanny Maria was at the church wrangling the kids so the other one was at home with Louis. This is kept quiet as much as Carole going on tour when the kids are with them was kept secret.

  3. mellie says:

    Nope…..she’s just an asshole.

    • ML says:

      Lol, I came to say the same thing, Mellie! How do you write about a nasty piece of work who actively drove her SIL into a dangerous depression while bullying her? It starts:
      “Kate Middleton is one tough cookie. Royal expert Valentine Low exclusively told Page Six in a recent interview that the royal, 41, is “tougher” than she lets on.”

    • Mtl.Ex.Pat says:

      I was going to say prissy stuck up b-tch but that will do also!

    • Yvette says:

      @Mellie … LOL! Came here to say they seem determined to underscore Kate as a mean-girl with a petty streak, but your comment works as well. 🙂

      Isn’t it interesting how they are painting Kate as the main villain in this? All of the other vipers innocently clasped their hands behind their backs and said “Oh no, we can’t say that! We fear it might upset Harry and Meghan!” But alas, steely Kate proclaimed “So be it! Leave it in!”

    • MJM says:

      Yes. Yes she is.

    • Jais says:

      Lol yeah she’s pretty much an asshole. Also unkind, not nice, with competitive mean girl energy.

  4. No Can’t is a very mean girl period. She schemes and plots. Every woman is a threat to her. So no she is not a pushover by any means. It might be Carole telling us that a fight will be had if things go south( which they are).

    • Snuffles says:

      Dear Carole,

      They got rid of Diana. They tried and are still trying to get rid of Harry and Meghan. They won’t think twice about getting rid of Kate if she becomes too much of a problem.

  5. Emma says:

    I don’t believe she was responsible for that line. I don’t think she has either the wit to come up with it, or the clout to insist it going in. I am far more interested in why she’s getting the ‘credit’ for it – what’s the long game here?

    • Yvette says:

      Exactly!

    • Ace says:

      Exactly. I’m sure that if anybody bothered to ask her about what really happened in when supposedly Meghan made her cry after the Oprah interview, she moaned and whined that Meghan was lying. But there’s no way she played a part in that press release in any way, so imo that they’re giving her credit for it could be easily turned around to blame.

    • WiththeAmericann says:

      If she was behind it it was to make sure no one believed MM about the cry incident. I can 100% see Kate insisting on that.

      She can be very imperious, even more so than actual royals. I believe Harry alluded to this trait in her when she was demanding an apology from MM for some stupid thing and had blown it up into a global crisis.

      • Jaded says:

        It was Meghan’s gentle joke about “baby brain” when Kate had just given birth to Louis and forgot something silly. Kate went ballistic and told Meghan she “didn’t know her well enough to make a joke like that”. The very fact that Kate isn’t aristocratic has caused her to become aggressively imperious with people she considers underlings. Girl has a huge chip on her shoulder because the real aristos look down on her.

  6. Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

    So, the Wales current PR is that Kate is “steely” and William is “yummy”? Strange how polar opposite their themes are, as though the “principles” haven’t coordinated their strategies, as though they don’t work together towards a coordinated approach. Something very interesting is brewing in the House of Wales.

    • Ellie says:

      Baby brain is said often and to anyone for a little forgetfulness to just some stupid thing. No one gets offended in fact it’s is an opportunity to laugh at yourself and you have an excuse for whatever you did. Kate is on her high horse for sure.

  7. Tessa says:

    Kate is not subtle. I doubt she would come up with that statement
    She visibly played mean girl at the commonwealth service and was confrontational with Meghan during that walkabout after thevwueen died. Kate should have denied the crying story right away. Now she plays victim.

  8. Shawna says:

    Sorry, Low, she doesn’t “smile nicely.”

    • Jensa says:

      That’s true. It’s either Resting Bitch Face or grinning like a deranged hyena. Or sometimes a weird lop-sided freeze-pose. She does not have an easy smile.

  9. SURE says:

    “..so that Markle and Harry’s version of events..” Murdoch’s minions never miss an opportunity to refer to Meghan in a condescending way.

    • Tessa says:

      It shows that Kate is trying to play victim and in denial about what happened at that wedding. Kate was in effect interfering in Meghan s wedding plans.

  10. Eurydice says:

    Steely today, a mum who needs people to cut her some slack yesterday. But all can agree on bland.

  11. Noor says:

    Is Valentine Low waiting to be knighted when William and Kate are King and Queen.

    No responsible journalist would have written that desperate article on the bullying claims based on what the staff said without proper investigation and just before the Oprah interview was aired.

    A proper journalist would not allow himself to be used in that manner

    • Maxine Branch says:

      @Noor you answered your own question with the words “proper journalist.” There are no proper journalist who report on that family, they are gossipers

    • Amy Bee says:

      He was getting a book out of it. That’s why he wrote the story.

    • WiththeAmericann says:

      I beg to differ. See Maggie Haberman. wait, yes you have a point.

  12. Maxine Branch says:

    That Kate woman is dumb as a post and cannot compose a comprehensible sentence. Those gutter gossipers can keep building up yummy and dummy to the earth stands still and they will continue to remain irrelevant in the 21st century.

  13. Amy Bee says:

    What I’m getting from this promo is Low was unable to get additional information on Harry and Meghan for the paperback. Is this the only new tidbit in the paperback version? What about the bullying investigation? Surely, the Palace would have leaked the damning details to him.

  14. Lizzie says:

    Eh, when the Blands disappear for weeks at a time , hate for hire jumps in with 1 H&M begged to fly on Air Force One, 2 Will-yum working solo and 3 Kate is a schemer and not dull.

  15. Jais says:

    What I believe is that behind the scenes Kate absolutely pushed for the harshest and cruelest statement, whatever that statement may be. She wanted the statement to hit back. The fury and sheer humiliation she must have felt when Meghan corrected the lying story. Love that for her but it was so easily preventable. If she had just used some of that steely personality and corrected the story in the first place.

    • Nic919 says:

      Kate is not intelligent, she just was mad for being exposed worldwide for her vicious lie about Meghan. And she likely did support the use of recollections may vary because it was the first time in her life that she was shown to be a bad person. She is too used to UK media portraying her as nice, and that is the last word that applies to her.

    • WiththeAmericann says:

      That’s exactly how I see this. She can be as I wrote above “ imperious” and as we can see from her history of demanding retractions over Botox and hair extensions, she is heavily invested in her image management.

      Heavily invested. They issue those statements for her while not even for other born royals. It’s very odd.

    • Gabby says:

      Tinfoil tiara ON…..this confirms my suspicion that KKKate is the one who made the Archie skin color comment, and Wills just realized it was her when he saw the Oprah interview, and whatever participation she had in the response was a reflection of her panic.

  16. HeatherC says:

    She’s as dumb as a post and as tough as one too. She’s not moving because she does see the long game….she wants to be queen. She and her mom have done everything they can to secure that role starting way back when. Like a post, she’s dug in her bland heels.

    The language lately sounds like soft separation language to me. William is a hot guy ready to go on solo engagements, things like that. She’s in for the fight of her life and I can’t wait to watch. it’s what she deserves and I said what I said.

  17. Brassy Rebel says:

    Your point about the late queen being kept out of the loop even as her name was being attached to various statements is spot on. This is not questioned at all but should be.

    • WaterDragon says:

      I totally agree. I suspect QE was slipping mentally for some months before her death. What else would explain her sitting quietly and staring vacantly at the Sandringham Summit while Harry was being sandbagged by Charles, William and the Evil Viper Courtier Coterie (EVCC)?

      Sadly for Harry, His beloved Granny let him down.

    • Princessk says:

      The Queen was pushed into doing all kinds of things in her later years.
      1. Asking the Commonwealth to ensure Charles would succeed her as Head of the Commonwealth.
      2. Saying that it was her wish that Camilla should be crowned Queen.
      3. Signing off various statements, including the ‘recollections may vary’ one.
      Harry called all this out and said he was worried about the people she had around her…a reference to the private secretaries and other men in suits.

  18. Digital Unicorn says:

    Tell us something we don’t know – how do you think she got herself into the position of last hook up standing.

    Also the shade in the article – given how this was supposed to embiggen mumbles its clear that it came from the Middletons. The PR war of the Keen Wails has begun.

  19. SarahCS says:

    Yay, the steel marshmallow is back! I’ve missed that iteration of KKKhate.

    Of course she’s bland, we all have eyes and ears but that doesn’t preclude her being as nasty and vindictive as she can be behind the scenes. he problem (as with most of them) is that she’s not very bright.

    They are more and more openly admitting that ‘The Queen’ was issuing a lot of statements she likely knew nothing about.

  20. girl_ninja says:

    Kate is conniving and she’s not all that great at that. All the lies she allowed to unload on Meghan have been exposed, and her father in law is still mad cause the she stole his flower show thunder. She is lazy, arrogant and entitled and some of that IS her mother’s fault for molding and guiding her into being a Willy stalker and nothing else.

    • Digital Unicorn says:

      No she isn’t – I remember the stories about how she wanted to walk away from him for good and her mother kept pushing her at him (inviting him to family events etc..). If it wasn’t for Ma that relationship would never have lasted beyond a few hook ups at Uni.

  21. OriginalMich says:

    If ‘steely’ is a euphemism for the b-word then, yep, I agree.

    Although she seems that way in public as well.

    • Gabby says:

      B-word, C-word, she’s it. Why stop there? One could re-do the whole “A, You’re Adorable” song with apt Waity descriptions through the entire alphabet.

  22. Nic919 says:

    I think the description should be less bland, but more shallow and incurious. And protective of her social position. The media also tries to equate bland with nice and kate has never been nice. She’s been in the constant pursuit of social power from her teen years and she has been aggressive in taking and holding on to that position. Anyone seen as a threat is attacked in some way and her constant drive to create images to maintain a facade really make her insincere and soulless.

  23. Linney says:

    If you think Kate came up with the “recollections may vary,” I have a bridge to sell you. I could totally see someone else coming up with it and Kate saying, “yes, great.” That is not the same thing. Kate is no wordsmith. And who among the powers that be take her seriously? Such a ridiculous article. And steely can be code for mean. That Kate is mean, I believe. Steely — other than hanging in their to bag the William prize — she is not.

    • Princessk says:

      She didn’t come up with it and the Queen certainly didn’t. It was a private secretary. They are the ones who do all the drafting of letters and statements.

  24. ABritGuest says:

    They’ve said at least 3 people came up with that statement. I know they think they ate with that line but it really spoke to the gaslighting & insensitivity around especially mental health that Meghan spoke about in the interview.

    It’s funny because the times’ profile on Kate’s 40th birthday last January said that Kate was steely & has ice running through her veins. And yet when Meghan alludes to Kate being surprisingly formal in the docuseries, the press & uncle Gary claim she’s lying & go on about how supposedly warm & friendly Kate is & what a hugger she is.

    I think Kate is the steely, cold person the press describe with her eye on the prize & who is very concerned about her image & projecting a certain image to the public.

  25. Rapunzel says:

    Steely is just another way of saying she’s a limpet (which Harry apparently called her once) clinging to a man who doesn’t want her anymore.

  26. Lizzie says:

    “Middleton is acutely aware that “she’s one day going to be Queen”. This is the truest statement about Waity. This is the reason for stalking William, putting up with him ditching her, cheating on her, breaking up with her. Her mother taught her to step on or over anyone who gets in the way of this goal.

    • kelleybelle says:

      Queen consort … and no more fit for the role than a random pick off the street.

  27. Jen says:

    They’re STILL trying to act like “recollections may vary” was a mic drop moment.

  28. Mary Pester says:

    OK my take is this, Kate is a lazy hard faced lieing BCH, end of

  29. Amee says:

    Kate is a ” smart biscuit.” They don’t have cookies, they have biscuits. lol

  30. kelleybelle says:

    Good lord, now they’re trying to defend the fact that she has no personality. How about the dead eyes? How do they justify that? She is so empty inside it’s unreal.

  31. Kate is not just bland— she’s super bland. And if she’s tough, who cares?

  32. GDubslady says:

    This is coming from Yummy’s team or Cam’s. Would Dummy or her mother say she’s dull and uninspired? Doubtful. The palaces putting the blame on Kate for the Sussexes fallout with the Royals makes sense. She let the lie about Meghan making her cry go uncorrected and the “Recollections may vary” statement doesn’t cut it when the Sussexes have receipts. The Firm’s newest spin suggests that KKKhate instigated the drama from the beginning and is pushing to cover it up. Her behavior during the funeral walkabout versus William’s conciliatory gestures only confirms it. Peacemaker was supposed to be Kate’s role; now it’s William’s. This also kills two birds with one stone. Kate’s blamed for the rift with the Sussexes instead of William. Also her antics along with the long term Middleton’s scam gives newly single Will(yum) ample fuel in the divorce negotiations. Will(yum) is now free, happy go lucky Dad while Kate’s maneuvers have left her wide open for attack.

  33. Mary Pester says:

    @JADED, nah resting bitch face is evenly balanced, she has a chip on both shoulders.

  34. ChattyCath says:

    I loved the description of her as ‘a nice looking woman’. Damning with faint praise

  35. Jaded says:

    Kate knows she’s not up to the task of being a proper royal, i.e. working diligently on her charities and patronages and involving herself in truly meaningful work. She is too disinterested and lazy to learn, study, and develop the enthusiasm to give back to the people she owes her luxe lifestyle to. She does the bare minimum and really doesn’t give a toss about anything other than herself. She’s beyond bland and has, instead, become increasingly arrogant and entitled in order to justify her feelings of incompetence. She knows her marriage is a sham and that she’s on the razor’s edge as far as clinging to her FQC title. Her tough and steely nature is nothing more than desperate self-preservation.

  36. QuiteContrary says:

    Tough, dumb and bland: That’s Kate.

    It’s a dangerous combination found in mediocre people who believe they’re superior.

  37. jferber says:

    Hell, she’s a pitbull or a rottweiler inside–that’s why the battle of the titans with Camzilla will be epic! I’d love to see it as a movie, battling across England and leaving the ruins of buildings and statues in their wake. Awesome. Kind of like a Rodan/Godzilla/Mothra film, only using real monsters. I’m here for it.

  38. Gubbinal says:

    Intelligence in the royal family? I think that the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are educated and knowledgeable people. Their daughter-in-law is a working physician. I saw a longish interview with Lady Sarah Chatto and she speaks very intelligently about art. It may be her only strength, but some of the “minor” royals have cultivated their talents. There is a smattering of musical and artistic intelligence in the wider family. The Duke of Kent’s daughter in law has an impressive resume: https://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/miss-tomaselli-0

    She even has some book recommendations:
    https://shepherd.com/best-books/eighteenth-century-you-should-read-for-yoursel

    And Meghan Markle: brains to spare.

  39. Tree says:

    She’s tough and conniving with no shame. The tabloids have helped paint this picture. Everyone tells her to work more but she is sticking to her guns. It takes a certain level of toughness to be this lazy and collect titles.

  40. Saucy&Sassy says:

    I wonder if we’ll be hearing how Dummy is he source for the ‘bullying’ allegations. This would dovetail nicely with the ‘recollections may vary’ statement. I believe that when the outside attorney investigated, they discovered that Dummy is the bully. I’m not saying they didn’t discover others were also bullies, but I’ll bet there was more than enough information about how Dummy treated staff. The people who were ‘below’ her in status. I wonder if Yummy was aware of that before staff (former and present) began talking?

    Dummy and Ma have completely messed up by having Dummy lord it over everyone in their orbit. That’s not something you can erase–it’ll stay around forever. I do think that there’s a steel core there. It’s gotten her this far and will ultimately be her downfall. What does she have to counter it? You can’t say she’s a hard worker. You can’t say she’s spending all of her time with the kids, because when they’re not in school the Mids are there spending time with them.

    I’ve often wondered what it must be like at a state dinner, and someone sits next to Dummy. What in world do they talk about? I cannot imagine that she leaves a good impression. This is just another area where she isn’t a help to the brf.

  41. Colleen says:

    I thought the last time this incident was mentioned, Kate was credited with “recollections may vary.” They can’t keep anything straight.

  42. Oswin says:

    Oh yes, Kate “Can you smell the smell by smelling it?” Wails is a brilliant strategist with keen intelligence and spine o’ steel (or tungsten?)

    She’s ridiculous.

  43. Ok so she’s bland and tough. Nevertheless she still doesn’t have gravitas, no X factor. Bland and dull.