Kate Middleton: How ‘The Kate Effect’ Is Empowering Women Worldwide

Kate Middleton’s story, in her capacity as the Duchess of Cambridge and an esteemed member of the royal family, is a special one, not least because she was not born to royalty and comes from “humble beginnings.”

While Kate’s story isn’t exactly “rags to riches,” as she does come from distinctly middle-class stock, she was born a laywoman and not an aristocrat or the daughter of some Lord.

Nevertheless, Kate Middleton really has all the qualities of a princess, let alone a duchess, and she has inspired women across the world since marrying into the British royal family with her very British wedding to Prince William, the son of Charles and Diana.

For starters, Kate is a real trendsetter when it comes to fashion, and garments that she buys from high street stores often sell out soon after she is photographed wearing them, as women young and old try to emulate the duchess.

And why wouldn’t they? After all, she serves as a wonderful role model for any woman who has dreamt of marrying a prince and becoming a princess, even if not by title.

As reported by the Daily Mail recently, another example of “The Kate effect” is the way she carries herself when pregnant, as she is with child for a second time now.

Never before has a young mother looked so good in maternity clothes, and as a result has encouraged other mothers-to-be to embrace their baby bumps and not try to conceal and hide them all the time.

Kate Middleton shows how a woman can look her best, even if six months pregnant, by choosing the right kind of maternity wear that accentuates their beauty instead of dulling it down to the status of “dowdy.”

“The Kate effect” is, in fact, so powerful that woman show up at photo studios clutching her baby bump portrait and asking that they be photographed in exactly the same regal pose.

For example, Venture Studios told reporters that there was a 43 percent increase in mothers wanting baby bump portraits since November, around the time Kate Middleton announced she was pregnant for a second time.

It’s not a bad thing that expectant mothers and young women look to people like Kate Middleton as role models, as one can think of much worse examples of people they could emulate.