Kate Middleton is being called the “modern-day Princess Diana” by a royal insider who worked closely with the royal family for years.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold spoke in support of the Princess of Wales in a new interview with The Mirror. He highlighted the many ways Kate mirrors Princess Diana as the anniversary of Diana’s passing approaches.
“That girl [Kate] is a queen in waiting in every aspect. She is the perfect queen material, and you can so obviously see that,” he began.
“Everything about her, the way she carried herself, the way she spoke, the way she interacted with people, her kindness, her beauty. She was, if I can say, the modern-day Princess Diana.”
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Harrold, who is promoting his book The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life of Royal Service, did not work for the late Princess of Wales. He came into the royal household in 1997 and was employed through William and Kate’s 2011 wedding.
His comparisons come from his interactions with other staff members and his own accounts with Kate, reports InStyle. He used this information to draw his own conclusions about the two women.
Harrold added that the similarities between Prince William’s late mother and his wife continue. He believes the two women liked to bring a smile to others.
He shared, “Diana used to do things at Sandringham to make the staff laugh by poking her head out the window and pulling faces, and Kate was doing the same kind of thing. She is everything you can imagine; she is a beautiful and intelligent woman.”
The formal royal butler believes that Kate and William will continue to forge their own paths as royal family members. He claims they will adhere to royal tradition, but instill their own pathways as well.
Case in point: the couple’s move to Forrest Lodge from their current Adelaide Cottage residence. The couple initially moved to be closer to their children’s school (Lambrook) and to live in a more private, family-focused home outside of London’s Buckingham Palace.
He explains, “When it comes to William, he is used to smaller houses like Highgrove, because he didn’t grow up in the huge palaces or castles. So I think there’ll be a transition where Windsor becomes the hub of the monarchy.”
“As Forest Lodge is on the Windsor estate, that whole area will become the royal HQ. And then Buckingham Palace could just be open year round as a tourist hotspot, while also operating as the royal office, because it is such a landmark of the royal institution,” Harrold continues.
He concludes, “So, I think Windsor will become the embodiment of the Firm as William and Kate move into their forever home. Living in Forest Lodge will be a lot cheaper than living in Buckingham Palace. Also, William has long championed homelessness causes, and it’s a bit hard to support the homeless when you’re living in your massive castle, so I think he’s aware of that.”
However, Diana’s brother Charles Spencer believes the comparisons to Kate aren’t exactly equal. Per the BBC, he believes Diana’s journey as a royal family member was much different than Kate’s in that she was ruthlessly followed by paparazzi, and Kate appears to be much more protected by the royals than his late sister.
Grant Harrold’s comparisons between Kate Middleton and Princess Diana come just ahead of the August 31 anniversary of the late princess’s death. The car accident that ultimately took her life occurred 28 years ago, in 1997. She was 36.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.