As the coronation approaches and we prepare for a new Queen—Camilla, whose title of "Consort" is officially being dropped—royal experts are also looking ahead to the future, i.e. the time when Prince William will take the throne and his wife Kate will become Queen.
For one royal historian, the Princess of Wales is more than suited to this difficult role, thanks to her many talents, and to the way she shows up so consistently for people.
"She sings in tune, she plays the piano, she rock climbs, she plays tennis," Tessa Dunlop explained to OK!.
"She can wheel out these surprising assets when we’re least expecting them and that makes her feel accomplished, educated, attractive, and not frightening at the same time."
Indeed, the princess surprised royal fans with a piano performance during her first annual Christmas Carol Service in 2021, recently pulled tires during a royal engagement, and even once played tennis with champion Emma Raducanu. She's always game for trying something new, which is part of her wide appeal.
Dunlop also commented on Kate's wardrobe, which is carefully curated to send just the right messages. "She knows about the imaging around timelessness, so for years Kate looked like she was dressing too old for her age but now it is timeless, unchanging, constant Kate," the expert explained.
"Britain’s going through a rough time but there’s Kate supporting Wales as she should be at the rugby, or there she is doing the right thing at the beginning of the term with her three children.
"She’s a reassuring presence."
This, interestingly, mirrors some of the comments that were often made about Queen Elizabeth II during her own reign.
At the time of the Queen's death, Kate Strasdin, PhD, a fashion historian and royal dress expert, told Marie Claire, "It’s that 'steady at the helm' kind of approach to her appearance … which was part of the appeal.
"Her identity was rooted in precisely that consistency, so that while everything else was tumultuous, and the world was doing all sorts of things, that actually you could look at her at any point and she looked herself."
