Princess Diana vs. Catherine – Are there More Similarities than Differences?

Most surely people all over the world are going to compare Princess Diana, the People’s Princess, with Princess Catherine.|People from all over the globe will without doubt compare the new Princess Catherine with the People’s Princess – Princess Diana.} Not only is Princess Catherine the new Princess of England (technically Her Royal Highness, Duchess of Cambridge), she would also be Princess Diana’s daughter-in-law. If Princess Diana were alive today would she approve of Catherine? Or would their relationship be like many mother/daughter-in-law relationships that become strained? What do you think Catherine and Diana would discuss if they had the chance to meet? They both married Princes and were instantly thrown into the public eye. Catherine has been able to handle the publicity with more finesse than Diana did back in February 1981 when Prince Charles’s engagement to Diana was announced. At age 19, Diana was taken from her nursery assistant job and catapulted into the highly publicized life of the Royal Family with eyes from all nations watching. Luckily for her, she was used to an aristocratic life growing up a Spencer. Diana’s family already had ties to the Royal Family when her sister married the Queen’s private secretary, and her grandmother was a close friend of the Queen Mother. Catherine grew up with a more stable family life than Diana. Her parents are still together and she had more time to be a kid, go to school and then marry her Prince at the age of 28 instead of being thrust into it all at 19. Both women would be able to understand each other’s angst and anxiety about being in the spotlight and having their personal lives become public. Diana was seen as shy and Catherine has been able to shine in the spotlight. Is Catherine going to become the new People’s Princess? It seems that most people want to either pin the two princesses against each other or they want to only discuss their similarities. It is more likely that if these women ever did meet, that they would be able to share in their similarities and celebrate their differences. They are different women from different backgrounds who went through similar experiences at different times in history. We have to take into account the differences in the times of their marriages. In 1981 it was still expected that Charles marry a young virginal bride who would become the mother of the future King of England. Diana’s virginity became a public topic for which she was repeatedly scrutinized. Now, in 2011 no one even attempted to ask Catherine such a personal question, and it would be almost pointless if someone did ask because Princess Catherine and Prince William have been living together for years – since their time at St. Andrews. Being 28 and getting married in 2011 allowed for Catherine to have very different experiences from that of Diana’s. Diana was still a teenager and it was mostly expected of her to be a virgin, to be from royal bloodlines, and to perform her duty as a princess -- the wife of the future king of England. Catherine Catherine had more options when she decided to marry Prince William since she was older than Diana, more established and had a degree from a prestigious university. She met William while at college and they have been a couple ever since, growing and maturing together, and then jointly making the decision to get married. Charles and Diana, on the other hand, courted for just a short period of time and ultimately marrying when they hardly knew each other. Catherine is choosing to be a stay at home wife and not use her college degree – this decision wasn’t made for her. From what we know about Diana, it’s quite plausible that she would like that Catherine is a mature and well educated woman and would be pleased with those qualities in the woman her son married. People all over the world loved Diana and became preoccupied with her. A similar phenomenon is happening with Catherine, but perhaps learning from Diana’s experiences, she is handling herself quite differently. A positive attribute of Catherine’s is that she is very confident in front of the cameras and seems to be unfazed by all of the hype over every small move she makes. Where Diana tried to shy away from the cameras, Catherine shines in front of them. She smiles and always looks gracious, classy and refined, but she makes her public appearances and then goes out of the limelight. When Diana was first introduced to her new whirlwind life she was more open and trusting because she didn’t know any better. Catherine is able to learn from Diana’s mistakes and has a lawyer ready to strike whenever needed. Just because Catherine is more prepared and more confident in front of the cameras and in the situations where she has to be a princess than Diana was, doesn’t take anything away from Diana’s presence. Catherine is not trying to be the next Princess Diana; she’s becoming the next Princess of England. {There are many comparisons made between Diana and Catherine|Many similarities as well as differences exist between these two princesses, but the obvious similarities are that they are both constantly in the spotlight and they are both well-loved princesses. Princess Diana will forever be the People’s Princess but that doesn’t mean that Catherine can’t adopt an equivalent title or the same traditions and manners. Diana’s tragic death can only strengthen Catherine’s desire to handle herself as safely and appropriately as possible. Diana has imprinted her legacy on England and now it is up to Catherine to leave her own.

This article is courtesy of Everything Princesses, your one stop shop for all things for your little royal including princess dress up clothes, games, jewelry, books and room décor.