During Channel 5’s new documentary, ‘When the Middletons Met the Monarchy’, royal insiders and commentators spoke about “what really happened” when the Duchess of Cambridge joined the monarchy. Anjula Mutanda, a relationship psychologist, explained how Kate had to integrate herself into the royal world.
She told the documentary: “Here we have the monarchy, it has its own peculiar rules and protocol which stretch back hundreds of years.
“Now can you imagine stepping into that world and trying to integrate yourself. That is a very steep learning curve.”
Kate and William married in April 2011. They celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary this year.
The royal couple met while studying at St. Andrew’s University in Scotland between 2001 and 2005.
In 2007, Kate and William took a break from each other for a couple of months.
Later in 2010, when the couple announced their engagement in an interview, Prince William said: “We were both very young, it was at university. We were both finding ourselves as such and being different characters and stuff.
“It was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up, it was a bit of space and a bit of things like that and it worked out for the better.”
When the Duchess joined the monarchy, the Middleton family were also plunged into royal life.
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“Carole had William’s number in her phone, as did Michael, so that they could call him if they needed him.”
Ms Mutanda also explained how “outsiders” of the Royal Family tend to struggle integrating into the monarchy.
But the relationship psychologist said the Middletons have managed to adapt well to royal life.
She said: “Outsiders have struggled to do well when they enter the Royal Family. When you look at how the Middletons are doing they appear to have understood their role and almost done it by the book.”
Kate and William now have three children together – Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two.
During the Channel 5 documentary, royal experts also discussed how Kate may experience a “little tension” with Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall over her children.
Jennie Bond and Tom Quinn spoke about the Middleton family’s influence on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children.
Mr Quinn said: “I suspect everyone thinks that in terms of the children, the royal family will inevitably have the most influence, but that is entirely wrong.
“It will be the Middletons that have the influence, because the Royal Family is too formal, it’s too stuck in its ways.”
Ms Bond added: “I suppose there is a little tension at times between who gets to see the grandkids the most.
“Kate will always turn to Carole for help, advice guidance, and just get together and romping around with the kids – possibly before she would get together with Camilla and Charles.”
