Ever since she joined the Firm in 2011, the Duchess of Cambridge has remained one of the most loved members of the royal family. Meeting the in-laws isn’t always easy, let alone if they’re the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, but Kate has navigated her path in the royal family with grace and ease. She has supported Her Majesty by attending engagements, going on tours and taking on patronages, while also finding a way to reflect her own interests in her charity work.
It’s no wonder, then, that Prince William’s wife has formed such strong bonds with the royal family. Let’s take a look at some of Kate’s best moments with her in-laws…
The Duchess had her hands full with Prince George and Princess Charlotte during the 2017 celebration of Trooping the Colour, but she shared a lovely moment with her grandfather-in-law Prince Philip as she watched over the children.
Kate has always had a good relationship with Prince Charles, long before he became her father-in-law. After her engagement to Prince William was announced, Kate said Charles had been “very, very welcoming and very friendly” to her, while the future King also said he was “thrilled” and “delighted” about the news.
Kate is also close to Prince Charles’ wife Camilla. The Duchess of Cambridge was given a very thoughtful wedding gift from her stepmother-in-law when Camilla presented her with a gold link charm bracelet. It featured a disc engraved with both of their monograms – on one side, a ‘C’ for Catherine and a coronet, and on the other, a ‘C’ for Camilla and a crown. Camilla’s granddaughter Eliza Lopes was also a bridesmaid at William and Kate’s wedding.
The Duchess is always very respectful of her grandmother-in-law the Queen, and once revealed a conundrum everyone can relate to! Starring in ITV documentary Our Queen At 90, Kate revealed that she didn’t know what to give the Queen for Christmas but settled on homemade chutney made from her own grandmother’s recipe.
“She (the Queen) really cares,” Kate said. “I can remember being at Sandringham, for the first time, at Christmas. And I was worried what to give the Queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking, ‘Gosh, what should I give her?’ I thought back to what I would give my own grandparents. And I thought, ‘I’ll make her something.’ Which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny’s recipe of chutney.”
Kate added: “I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table. I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me and I’ve noticed since she’s done that on lots of occasions and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really, and her care in looking after everybody.”
The recipe is thought to have been a marrow chutney; Pippa Middleton’s 2012 recipe book Celebrate includes instructions for ‘Granny’s Marrow Chutney,’ which takes several hours to prepare.
She even named her daughter Princess Charlotte after the Queen, giving Charlotte the middle names Elizabeth and Diana.
The Duchess looked totally at ease surrounded by her in-laws as they celebrated the Queen’s 90th birthday in London.
Kate and the Countess of Wessex have a very natural, close relationship. Here they are pictured shortly after Sophie tumbled into the carriage at Royal Ascot, and almost fell on Kate.
The Duchess also sees her cousins-in-law from time to time, including Peter Phillips’ wife Autumn.
The royal ladies tend to get together in Gloucestershire, when Prince George and Princess Charlotte are reunited with their cousins, Savannah and Isla Phillips.
Kate is also close to her cousin-in-law Zara Tindall, who married in July 2011, just three months after William and Kate. Zara’s husband Mike has previously spoken about their elder daughter Mia meeting Prince George for the first time, saying the baby playdate was “absolute carnage”.
We love this photo of William, Kate and Zara embracing outside Westminster Abbey. The Duchess was eight months pregnant with Prince George at the time.
The Duchess looked delighted to see her cousin-in-law Princess Eugenie during a trip to New York in December 2014. Eugenie was working for an auction house in the Big Apple at the time.
There’s no denying that Kate and Prince Harry have a close relationship. The pair have known each other for over 15 years, after Kate and William started dating at St Andrew’s University. Here, Kate and her brother-in-law are pictured back in 2008 long before the royal wedding.
They always look to be having fun when they attend royal engagements together, with Harry often making Kate burst into hysterics with his down-to-earth humour, and vice versa.
In turn, Kate has offered guidance and support to Prince Harry at times when he has struggled with life in the public eye. She appears to have been fundamental in helping to welcome Meghan into the family too, with the former Suits star saying the Duchess had been “wonderful” at sharing advice and making her feel settled into her new role as a royal.
Kate and Meghan carried out their first joint engagement together at Wimbledon in 2018, just a few weeks after Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
The Duchess bonding with Prince Philip at Princess Eugenie’s wedding in October 2018.
Kate and her aunt-in-law Princess Anne enjoyed a natter on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as they celebrated the RAF’s 100th anniversary.
The Duchess is pictured with Princess Anne’s husband Timothy Laurence as they marked the centenary of Passchendale.
A hug and a kiss from her father-in-law!
And a peck on the cheek for Princess Anne.
Kate and the Countess of Wessex attend a Remembrance Day service together.
Source: HELLO MAGAZINE
