Fact-Checking The Crown: Did Kate Middleton Truly Meet Princess Diana?

The Crown's final season introduces Kate Middleton, portrayed by Meg Bellamy, delving into Prince William's college years and the onset of their royal romance. While the Netflix series takes creative liberties with history, certain scenes, such as one from episode 7, "Alma Mater," set in December 1996, leave fans questioning the accuracy of depicted moments.

 

In this particular scene, a young Kate, alongside her mother Carole Middleton, encounters Princess Diana (played by Elizabeth Debicki) selling The Big Issue magazine for charity. Diana engages with Kate, instructing William to thank her as she purchases an issue. The scene concludes with Kate excitedly cutting out magazine photos of William for her bedroom wall. But, did this fortuitous encounter between Kate Middleton and Princess Diana really happen?

 

Contrary to The Crown's portrayal, the sad reality is that Princess Kate never had the opportunity to meet her mother-in-law, a fact William and Kate have openly discussed. Following their 2011 royal wedding, William expressed the difficulty of his mother's absence on such a special day, noting how sad it was for her not to witness the event. Despite this absence, William believed his mother would have been proud and expressed sadness that she never got the chance to meet Kate.

 

Years later, during a visit to Wales, Princess Kate reflected on never meeting Princess Diana, emphasizing the shared engagement ring. In a video, now deleted, she remarked, "Same ring. And exactly the same — the same size." Kate spoke of Diana's potential as a wonderful grandmother to their three children, stating, "We miss her every day."

 

Another intriguing tidbit from The Crown suggests that Kate had posters of Prince William adorning her walls, a detail that has sparked discussions. However, during their engagement interview, Kate debunked these rumors, denying any teenage infatuation. She humorously dismissed the notion, asserting, "He wishes! No. No, I had the Levi’s guy on my wall, not a picture of William. Sorry!" William playfully responded, "Well, it was me in Levi’s, obviously!"

 

But how did Kate Middleton and Prince William initially cross paths? Like the poster rumor, there are various stories surrounding their first meeting. According to the couple themselves, they met during their first year at the University of St. Andrews in 2001, initially fostering a friendship for over a year before romance blossomed.

 

During their first college year, both were romantically linked to others—Prince William with Olivia Hunt and Carley Massy-Birch, and Kate with Rupert Finch (portrayed by Oli Green in The Crown). Despite these initial connections, William shared that as they spent more time together, they discovered shared interests and enjoyed each other's company.

 

In conclusion, while The Crown weaves a captivating narrative, it's essential to fact-check and separate fiction from reality. The depicted scene of Kate Middleton meeting Princess Diana never occurred, emphasizing the challenge of maintaining historical accuracy in fictional portrayals.