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Kate Middleton And Prince William: Breaking Tradition Like Diana, But Are They Too Normal?

By Jessica Dafoe
Published on: 04:18 PST, Sep 6, 2016

Prince William and his stunning wife, Kate Middleton, are setting a new tone for the royal family, one that was initiated by William’s mother, Princess Diana, before her tragic death. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, much like Diana, are anything but traditional, and continue to push the boundaries and definitions of what it is to be royal.

Royal expert, Ingrid Seward, recently spoke on the matter, as Yahoo! relays.

“Traditionally, royalty has had a stiff upper lip. But these two — and Prince Harry — are anything but traditional. William has often gone out on a limb. He is following Diana — and that is further proof of her legacy. They can’t promote the idea that people should talk openly without talking openly themselves.”

Seward is alluding to Kate and William’s ongoing advocacy for the support of those suffering with mental health issues. The couple, along with Prince Harry, are doing their part to bring attention to how to properly care for those who are suffering from these afflictions. Prince William and Duchess Kate both shared that they would not hesitate to seek assistance for their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, should either demonstrate signs of needing mental or emotional support. The initiative is one meant to encourage parents to not hide away such afflictions, but instead to seek necessary help.

The trio, as a complement to their advocacy for the cause, have initiated the Heads Together campaign as well. This campaign is intended to curb the negative stigma that is usually attached to mental issues and disabilities. While Harry spoke openly in 2015 about the lack of mental support for soldiers, Prince William has worked closely with mentally ill homeless and those contemplating suicide, via his position as an ambulance air pilot. Likewise, Duchess Kate has been an advocate for a number of children’s mental health organizations and even championed Young Minds Matter for The Huffington Post, as the publication reminds.

Another view, however, is that the royals have become too normal due to family members like Kate and William breaking royal traditions in place of becoming more family oriented and interacting with common folk. Etiquette expert William Hanson wrote on the topic of the bordering-on-normal royals.

“The Royal Family have become too normal. Not all of them, of course, there are still a good handful who get the balance right. It’s the younger generation who need to be careful. If the future of our monarchy is William, Harry and Catherine then heaven help us. On a weekly basis we seem to be getting more and more stories and pictures of them behaving like our friends from a grammar school.”

Although this may be the case, the normalcy that comes with royal figures such as the Duke and Duchess, William and Kate Middleton, surely makes them more likable and easier to identify with to the subjects of the U.K. The expert relays how the couple adds a personal touch when interacting with the public, and how they show appreciation to those who wish them well.

“At the end of last week we saw a new image of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, released together with a kind note of thanks to those who had written to congratulate them on their fifth wedding anniversary.”

However, Hanson also shared his distaste for the manner in which Prince William presented himself during the address, noting that the prince seemed to be slightly awkward and lacking in royal stature.

“Catherine looked fine, but her royal husband, quite brazenly, had his left hand tucked in to his pocket, standing as if he waiting to give us all a presentation on telesales. Not a very royal image, really?”

[Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images]

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