Queen Elizabeth was a pillar of wisdom about many things and as a woman who was married for almost 74 years, this includes marriage. In her "first" solo meeting with her in December 2010, the Princess of Wales was apparently given advice by the monarch, who apparently recognised the similarities between Prince Philip and Prince William.
In his new book, William & Catherine, royal expert Russell Myers describes how, according to one former courtier, Queen Elizabeth "offered words of encouragement to Catherine regarding her future role as a senior member of the family, as well as guidance in how to deal with ‘headstrong’ husbands".
"William had a reputation among his staff and family for being down to earth and thoughtful, preferring to be addressed by his first name instead of His Royal Highness or Sir, but he could also be direct and plain-spoken when he wanted things done a particular way," the writer claims.
Myers suggests that Prince Philip was "similarly forthright" and "so she was well placed to advise Catherine". After all, the royal expert notes, her marriage had lasted for decades "with a fair bit of compromise required as a foundation".
It’s interesting to think of the Queen sharing her experience in this way, just months before Kate and William tied the knot. The Princess of Wales is often perceived as a very calm, steadying person, and later on in William & Catherine, a source claims that she "would calm the situation down" when her husband got "riled up" over Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir, Spare.
It wasn’t only advice that Queen Elizabeth is said to have given back in their "informal catch-up" in 2010 about the upcoming wedding. The pair had tea and finger sandwiches at Buckingham Palace and the monarch "looked to comfort the young woman she hoped would successfully shape the institution for the next generation".
She insisted that there would be "plenty of room for her loved ones" to share in the Prince and Princess of Wales’s wedding and told her not to worry about all the people going she wouldn’t know. Myers also reveals that it was in this meeting that Kate was offered the opportunity to borrow an item from the Queen’s "personal, priceless jewellery collection".
This move was apparently a "startling gesture to the young bride" and "Catherine left the meeting with the Queen with a spring in her step". When Kate and William married in April 2011, she walked down the aisle wearing the Cartier Halo Tiara, which the Queen had been gifted on her 18th birthday by her parents.
The offer to borrow an item was such a special one and the Princess of Wales has always admired Queen Elizabeth’s thoughtfulness.
She continued to go out of her way to make Kate feel welcome in the family, including for her first Christmas at Sandringham. The Princess revealed in the Our Queen at Ninety documentary that she ended up giving the monarch homemade chutney.
She explained, "I noticed the next day that it was on the table. 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."
"She's been very generous in not being forceful at all and in any of her views, but I feel she's been there, a gentle guidance really for me," the Princess of Wales also declared.
