Prince Philip was devoted to the Royal Family (Image: Getty)
The late Prince Philip, a much-loved member of the Royal Family, reportedly gave Princess Catherine a piece of advice when she first joined The Firm in 2011. A royal author has revealed the details of exactly what he told her – and she still follows the meaningful tip today.
When Princess Catherine married Prince William, she became part of the world’s most renowned family, and today she’s one of the most popular royals. Having not been from a royal family herself, Catherine needed guidance on how to handle the intense global scrutiny she would face upon becoming a princess. Prince Philip stepped in to offer some expert advice.
Princess Catherine is a much-loved member of the Royal Family (Image: Getty)
Prince Philip devoted decades to serving the Royal Family and the monarch, earning a reputation as the Queen’s steadfast partner who consistently put the needs of the Firm above all else, reports The Mirror.
This lifetime of unwavering commitment – which saw him serve as patron, president or member of more than 780 organisations – made him perfectly placed to guide Kate on navigating life under the constant glare of the public eye.
When Catherine joined the Firm at the age of 29, Philip was reportedly “relieved” that his grandson, Prince William, had found “such a level-headed girl”.
According to royal author Gyles Brandreth, who struck up a friendship with Prince Philip through his involvement with the National Playing Fields Association, Philip passed on some priceless wisdom to Kate.
The prince had reportedly also tried to give the same advice to Princess Diana.
Prince Philip died in 2021, aged 99 (Image: Getty)
Brandreth wrote in his biography Philip The Final Portrait: “One of the things that saddened – and worried – the Queen and Prince Philip about Diana, Princess of Wales, was not that she was popular, but that she allowed her popularity to go to her head.”
“Once upon a time, Philip and Elizabeth were seen as characters from a fairytale. The difference between them and Princess Diana, I think, is that they did not take it personally.”
He said that Philip told Princess Catherine: “If you believe the attention is for you personally, you’re going to end up in trouble. The attention is for your role, what you do, what you’re supporting.
“It isn’t for you as an individual. You are not a celebrity. You are representing the Royal Family. That’s all.
“Don’t look at the camera. The Queen never looks at the camera. Never. Look at who you are talking to. Look at who you’ve come to see. Diana looked at the camera.”
Princess Catherine was advised to never look at the cameras (Image: Getty)
Brandreth revealed from his own observations that Catherine has consistently followed Prince Philip’s guidance, noting, “I have been on a walkabout with the Duchess of Cambridge. She never looks at the camera.”
The counsel Philip offered Kate led to the two developing an “unexpected” friendship, as they frequently sat together at royal occasions and even shared a similar sense of humour.
Prince William paid tribute to the bond between Catherine and Philip in his heartfelt message following the Duke’s death in 2021, writing: “I will always be grateful that my wife had so many years to get to know my grandfather and for the kindness he showed her.”