Princess Kate hailed as ‘head girl' of royals as she steps back into the spotlight

Princess Kate is being celebrated not just for her elegance, but for her savvy, thoughtful approach to royal life and according to friends, she’s proving herself to be a future queen with both heart and head firmly in the right place.

Celebrity podcaster and author Giovanna Fletcher, who has known Kate for five years, described the Princess of Wales as “head girl of the royal family” in a recent interview with The Times. 

Fletcher praised Kate for being attentive, empathetic, and “very aware of what’s going on in the world,” suggesting that the royal couple is entering the next chapter of their public roles with clear-eyed purpose.

“She’s full of heart,” Fletcher said. “I think she’ll be a queen who really listens, who leans in, who understands the bigger picture much like the King with the King’s Trust. They’re going in with their eyes completely open.”

Beyond her royal duties, Kate has shown a playful, relatable side. During an off-camera chat for Fletcher’s Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in 2020, the Princess revealed that she was famously bad at keeping track of her phone. 

Giovanna recalled, “All of her Christmas presents that year were about keeping her phone safe. It was all she wanted no glamour, just practicality!”

Looking ahead to 2026, Kate and Prince William plan to ramp up their engagement schedule with a focus on celebrating British excellence. 

“It’s really important for them to shine a light on the everyday heroes of the UK,” a palace source said.

Kate has been gradually returning to public life following her cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy. 

Kate is earning a reputation as a princess who listens, acts, and, inspires the kind of “head girl” the royal family rarely sees, and a future queen who could redefine what it means to serve with both grace and purpose.