🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Kate Middleton's rare comments about Princess Diana have gone viral on social media after the royal broke with her usual reserve in discussing her late mother-in-law during a recent visit to Wales.
Kate has made few public references to Diana throughout the course of her 12-year marriage, following the princess' death in 1997 as a result of injuries sustained in a high-speed Paris car crash while on vacation with boyfriend Dodi Fayed.
During a visit to the town of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales on April 27 with Prince William, Kate was asked by a member of a crowd of well-wishers about her famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring which had formerly belonged to Diana.
Captured on camera by a member of the public—in a clip that has since been widely circulated—Kate said "it's the same ring [as Diana's], and it's exactly the same size as when I tried it on, yeah. So it's very, very special. It's an honor to be able to carry on wearing it."
The princess then provided a rare insight into her personal relationship with the mother-in-law she never met.
"I never, sadly, got to meet her," she said. "I never met her, no, sadly. Obviously now with the children—her grandchildren—her being a grandmother...she'd be brilliant. You know, we miss her every day and that's what's important."
Edited versions of the clip have since been posted across social media platforms with one such video, uploaded to TikTok by user l0velycatherine gaining over 600,000 views and in excess of 60,000 likes.
@l0velycatherine Catherine talking about her late mother-in-law Princess Diana! ?❤️ cttro: all.thats.pretty <3 tried my best in putting caps :) | #princesscatherine #katemiddleton #princessdiana #fyp ♬ Answering Machine - Ruby Haunt
A number of comments on the clip have praised both Kate and Diana, highlighting sorrow for the latter's early death at the age of just 36.
"I genuinely think Diana would [have] absolutely adored Kate.. Kate has really blossomed and very much carries herself like a true royal.." wrote one user.
"Diana would love all 5 of her grandchildren so much! 🥺 Shame she died too soon to ever meet them ☹️😞," posted another, with a further comment reading: "she is so respectful and caring! never changed the size, just was honored to wear it🥰."
Though it is rare for Kate to reference Diana in public, it is not the first time. During her engagement interview in 2010, the soon-to-be-princess expressed her admiration for her fiancé's mother and the ring she was now custodian of.
Speaking to British broadcaster Tom Bradby from Clarence House alongside William, Kate described the ring as "beautiful," adding: "I just hope I look after it. It's very, very special."
"I would have loved to have met her," Kate went on to say about Diana, "and she's, obviously, she's an inspirational woman to look up to."
Kate is not the only royal to have an inherited jewel as her engagement ring. In 2017, Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle with a ring of his own design comprised of a large central Botswanan diamond flanked by two smaller diamonds which had been taken from jewelry in the princess' collection.
In her engagement interview with Harry, Meghan was asked by broadcaster Mishal Husain, what it meant to her to have "those stones on your finger that once belonged to Princess Diana?"
Meghan responded: "I think everything about Harry's thoughtfulness is—and the inclusion of that and obviously not being able to meet his mom it's so important to me to—to know that she's a part of this with us."
Her engagement ring is not the only piece of jewelry once worn by Diana that is now regularly worn by Kate. Queen Mary's Lovers Knot Tiara, which had been a wedding present from Queen Elizabeth II to Diana in 1981, is now Kate's principle tiara, comprised of diamond bows from which swinging pearls are attached.
Kate is also custodian of a collection of Diana's pearl and diamond earrings, and has worn the princess' famous emerald and diamond choker necklace.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more