Prince William Doesn't Envy Kate Middleton's Popularity Like Charles Did With Diana, Royal Experts Say

LONDON — Royal commentators say Prince William shows no sign of the jealousy some have attributed to his father, King Charles III, in response to the intense public fascination surrounding Princess Diana decades ago, arguing instead that William appears genuinely pleased by the attention his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, continues to draw more than a decade into their marriage.

The comparison has resurfaced as William and Kate remain among the most closely watched figures in the royal family, with their public appearances continuing to draw significant crowds and media coverage. Several royal experts, speaking separately to Fox News Digital and other outlets, described William's reaction to that attention as markedly different from accounts of how Charles responded to Diana's own extraordinary popularity during their marriage.

British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard pointed specifically to William's visible reaction whenever Kate becomes the center of public attention. "Prince William is not only proud, but he is smitten. He watches Princess Catherine and lights up. After more than a decade of marriage and three children, he is still completely enchanted by her," Chard said. She also highlighted the couple's ability to balance their public profile with their private family life, describing the strength of their public bond in historical terms. "Few marriages have deepened in public admiration the way theirs has," Chard said, adding that the couple appears to have found a workable equilibrium between the demands of public life and their desire for privacy.

Christopher Andersen, author of the book "Kate!", drew a more direct contrast between William's demeanor and the dynamic long described between his parents. "But rather than be jealous of his wife the way King Charles was jealous of Diana's popularity, William is more than content to let Kate shine," Andersen said. "In fact, there are times when he is perfectly happy to bask in her reflected glory." That characterization echoes long-standing reporting suggesting Charles struggled at points during his marriage to Diana with the scale of attention she commanded relative to his own public profile, a dynamic that has been referenced repeatedly in retrospective coverage of the couple's relationship in the years since Diana's death.

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond offered a similar assessment in comments to The Mirror, framing William's comfort with Kate's popularity as a generational departure from his father's experience. "Luckily, William doesn't seem to suffer the same jealousy that his father did when Diana was the darling of the crowds," Bond said.

British royal expert Hilary Fordwich, also speaking to Fox News Digital, described William's reaction to his wife's public reception in........

© International Business Times