Prince Philip was "relieved" when the now Princess of Wales started dating Prince William and gave her three-word compliment, a new book has claimed.
The late Duke of Edinburgh, who was married to the late Queen for more than 70 years, had seen the many different ways newcomers to the royal family had dealt with the public spotlight.
And according to a new book by royal author and long-time friend Gyles Brandreth, Philip was "saddened" that his daughter-in-law Princess Diana - the former Princess of Wales - "allowed her popularity to go to her head".
However, when it came to his grandson William, Mr Brandreth claims the duke thought slightly differently about his love interest.
Writing in his new book, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, he says: "When Catherine Middleton came along as a potential bride for his grandson, Prince William, the Duke of Edinburgh was, he told me, ‘relieved to find her such a level-headed girl’.
"‘If you believe the attention is for you personally,’ he warned, ‘you’re going to end up in trouble. The attention is for your role, what you do, what you’re supporting.
"It isn’t for you as an individual. You are not a celebrity. You are representing the royal family. That’s all. Don’t look at the camera.
"The Queen never looks at the camera. Never. Look at who you’re talking to'."
The new book, which is released tomorrow, comes after Kate dazzled in a stunning dress, complete with a tiara during the King Charles' first Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night.
She and William put on a brave face as they arrived at the venue, with the annual event coming just two days before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 's "explosive" new Netflix documentary is set to air.
Kate looked regal in a red embellished Jenny Packham gown, accessorising it with the Lotus Flower tiara that she wore at a diplomatic reception at the Palace in 2013, and again in 2015 for the China state banquet.
A blue Royal Victorian Order sash and the late Queen ’s Family Order, which sits on a yellow ribbon, was pinned to Kate's scarlet dress.
And in a touching nod to the late monarch, her drop diamond earrings once belonged to the Queen.
It was the first Diplomatic Corps reception in three years, where hundreds of foreign ambassadors gather for the affair in the state rooms of the Palace.
The reception celebrates one of the largest Diplomatic Corps in the world, and saw the King and Queen Consort, as well as William and Kate, meet representatives of countries accredited to the Court of St. James
It is usually held every December, but there were no receptions in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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