Prince William, Kate Middleton ‘copying’ Diana’s ‘ease with ordinary people’ for relevancy

Prince William and Kate Middleton have come under fire for allegedly ‘exploiting’ Princess Diana’s ease and grace with ordinary people to replenish their dwindling relevancy.

Laura E Mayhall, an associate professor of modern British history at The Catholic University of America made this observation.

She was even quoted telling Express, “The comment that William and Kate are deviating from royal protocol by hobnobbing with celebrities seems to suggest that royalty exists in a sphere outside of celebrity, which hasn't been the case since the early 20th century.”

“Certain members of the family have pushed that connection farther than others -- Edward VIII, for example, was widely viewed as a celebrity, especially in the American press.”

“Arguably, Princess Margaret also pushed that line, but the royal family exercised more control over how the media portrayed its members in the Fifties and Sixties than it would in later decades when the tabloid press became more aggressive in documenting the behaviour of royals.”

But “Princess Diana was perhaps the epitome of the celebrity royal - think of her dancing with John Travolta at the White House, for example.”

“Kate and William are invoking Diana’s ease with ‘ordinary people’ (as if celebrities are ‘ordinary'), an ease which Charles and Camilla lack.”