Last September, Catherine was bestowed with a brand-new title and a task to make it her own.
As the new Princess of Wales—and the first woman to use the title since her famous predecessor, Diana, Princess of Wales—she had an almost impossible mission of carving her own path and creating the association with her.
Has she succeeded? Let’s look at Catherine’s first year as Princess of Wales.
On 9 September, the day after King Charles III’s accession, he gave a televised speech in which he bestowed the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales upon William and Catherine.
“With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given,” the King said.
Almost immediately, a source told reporters that Catherine appreciated the history behind the title and knew of the comparisons she’d draw to Diana. However, they were swift to emphasise that Catherine “will understandably want to look to the future as she creates her own path.”
Embed from Getty ImagesIn the days and weeks following Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III’s accession, Catherine represented the Royal Family at funeral events and memorials, thanking volunteers who’d helped keep the mourning queues orderly and the displays at royal residences controlled.
As to their work with Wales, their spokesperson said: “The Prince and Princess of Wales are focussed on deepening the trust and respect of the people of Wales over time. They will approach their roles in the modest and humble way they’ve approached their work previously.”
Her first visit to Wales as Princess of Wales came towards the end of September when she and William visited Anglesey—where they spent their early married years together as William worked with the RAF—and Swansea to visit community and first responder organisations.
The royal couple has visited Wales several times since they received their new titles.
As Princess of Wales, her work with early years continues as before—just with an elevated gravitas, perhaps.
In January 2023, she launched Shaping Us, an endeavour of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood to create awareness of the importance of the first five years of a child’s life.
Catherine said, “All of society has a role to play in this, even if you are not directly involved in a child’s life because we are all responsible for building a more compassionate world in which our children can grow, learn and live.
“In these difficult times, it is more important than ever to help support parents and caregivers provide loving, safe and secure homes for their babies and young children to thrive.”
A few months later, she launched the Business Taskforce for Early Childhood to encourage businesses to help prioritise families and support business development simultaneously.
Embed from Getty Images“I truly believe that by investing in early childhood, with a specific focus on social and emotional development, businesses, in turn, will see in the future,” Catherine said at the time. “Better communication, better-working relationships, improved resilience, employees finding better work–life balance, less stress, more patience and understanding and increased job satisfaction.
“Not only that, but the societal impact we could have, if we work together on this, could transform lives for generations to come. As the saying goes, it really does take a village.”
Eight major businesses joined the taskforce for its launch: NatWest Group, Unilever, Aviva, Deloitte, IKEA UK and Ireland, Co-op, The LEGO Group, and Iceland.
The Princess of Wales’s work with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood continued throughout her first year. Reports and findings have been regularly published, and in June, the Centre announced its first field study project.
After learning of the vital role they play in Denmark, Catherine helped fund a field study of health visitors to select hospitals in the United Kingdom. The royal had learned about health visitors during her February 2022 visit to the Scandinavian country and was keen to bring the programme to the United Kingdom.
Visits to maternal and childhood organisations have continued to be at the forefront of Catherine’s work as Princess of Wales. However, she has devoted time to other initiatives in the arts, sports, mental health, and addiction fields.
As patron of England Rugby, Catherine has attended several matches and recorded messages for the teams in the organisation. She continued to be a mainstay at the Wimbledon tournament earlier this summer—even starring in a promotional film alongside Roger Federer to highlight the role ballboys and ballgirls play.
Embed from Getty ImagesCatherine was on hand to support William at the Earthshot Prize ceremony in Boston, presenting an award and visiting Harvard University to chat about the early years.
For the second year in a row, Catherine presented her Christmas concert ‘Together at Christmas’ at Westminster Abbey. The carol service brings together charity workers, first responders, and other local heroes alongside royalty for a sparkling concert.
The theme of last year’s ‘Together at Christmas’ incorporated the life of Queen Elizabeth II, and Catherine said about her late grandmother-in-law: “This Christmas will be our first without Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Her Majesty held Christmas close to her heart as a time that brought people together and reminded us of the importance of faith, friendship and family and to show empathy and compassion.”
Catherine’s work supporting Ukraine continued as Princess of Wales. In the lead-up to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, one of her first meetings with international leaders was held with Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska. The two women met again in May 2023, ahead of King Charles’s coronation.
Catherine visited a Ukrainian community centre and later surprised viewers when she joined a televised tribute to Ukraine during the May 2023 edition of Eurovision, playing the piano at Windsor Castle in a stunning blue ballgown.
Embed from Getty ImagesCatherine’s military associations grew as Princess of Wales. In December 2022, she was named Royal Colonel of the Irish Guards, a position previously held by William. Since her 2011 wedding, Catherine has presented shamrocks to the Irish Guards on St. Patrick’s Day.
As Royal Colonel, her work continues with the Irish Guards, and she visited them for training exercises in early 2023.
In August 2023, King Charles bestowed more military titles upon Catherine, making her Commodore-in-Chief Fleet Air Arm, Colonel-in-Chief 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards and Royal Honorary Air Commodore-in-Chief RAF Conningsby.
As Princess of Wales, Catherine was featured prominently throughout the coronation festivities. She attended several receptions for foreign royalty, Commonwealth leaders and other heads of state; greeted those camped outside Buckingham Palace the day before the coronation; and had a prominent role at the coronation on 6 May.
Enrobed in the robes of the Royal Victorian Order and wearing a floral crown, the Princess of Wales almost stole the show.
Embed from Getty ImagesCatherine carried on representing the Royal Family at events, including Remembrance Sunday festivities, Trooping the Colour, Easter services and Commonwealth Day, and she and William hosted a Buckingham Palace Garden Party.
Glittering tiara moments came in late 2022 for the South African State Visit and the Diplomatic Reception—Catherine stunned in her go-to tiara, the Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot for the South African State Banquet and the Lotus Tiara for the Diplomatic Reception.
Her first overseas event on behalf of the British Royal Family came in June 2023, when she and William attended the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa of Jordan.
As the first year of Catherine’s role as Princess of Wales comes to an end, it’s clear that the pronouncement that she’d create her own path has held true. Diana had a captivating presence when she was Princess of Wales and almost seemed to relish the attention she received, even if all was not well behind the scenes in her personal life.
Embed from Getty ImagesCatherine, meanwhile, has held steady in maintaining privacy and normalcy when she’s not representing the Royal Family. The focus for Catherine has understandably been on her work and continuing the work she started as Duchess of Cambridge. While she also commands attention for her wardrobe and style, she has never seemed interested in replicating the attention her late mother-in-law received.
In their engagement interview in 2010, William said that as his wife, “No one is going to try to fill my mother’s shoes, what she did was fantastic. It’s about making your own future and your own destiny and Kate will do a very good job of that.”
Catherine said: “I really hope I can make a difference, even in the smallest way. I am looking forward to helping as much as I can.”
As she continues her work, it’s clear that Catherine plans to accomplish this goal.
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