Christopher Andersen’s new biography of Catherine, Princess of Wales, promises to reveal “The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen”. This is all familiar territory for Andersen who has written many royal books including three about Kate and many more about William, Harry and Charles.
Andersen knows how to keep the story romping along and this engaging biography charts Kate’s story from middle-class Berkshire to the heart of the British establishment. His storytelling is brisk and accessible as always, offering an entertaining overview of Kate’s life. That’s good as far as it goes, but it is less convincing as a work of serious biography.
The book’s greatest strength lies in its narrative pace. Andersen recounts familiar storylines from Kate’s childhood to university; her ‘waity Katie’ relationship with William; her successful entry into royal life; and her more recent challenges within the family and with cancer. Andersen appears to have a genuine fondness towards his subject and presents Kate as a sensible young woman who has quietly become one of the monarchy’s greatest assets, especially at a time when they have been subject to intense criticism over the behaviour of Andrew and Harry.
This fondness may be part of the reason for one of the book’s principal weakness. Andersen rarely delves beneath the curated public image of Kate as Diana revisited. There is little in the way of real analysis or a considered discussion of her personality and her role within the royal family now and in the future.
It is disappointing that the book rarely goes beyond what we already know about Kate, the Middletons, and the royals. Any serious royal watcher has absolutely heard it all before. Another major concern is Andersen’s reliance on anonymous sources and the ‘reportage’ of private conversations that may be accurate or may be just so much supposition. How are we to know? When Andersen quotes “a Bucklebury neighbor [sic] of the Middletons” it just sounds like tittle-tattle.
That quote also highlights one of the most irritating aspects of the book. Andersen is American and the book is clearly written for the US market. London prices are quoted in US dollars and the late Queen apparently went everywhere with her “pocketbook”. I think you mean handbag, Mr Andersen!
The book shows Kate’s mother Carole Middleton as a remarkably strong woman who pursued her career with clear intent and then created a multi-million pound business when online shopping was still a fairly new proposition. How much she actually engineered the relationship between Kate and William we’ll never know but this book certainly plays into that well-established belief. It also shows that perhaps William wasn’t the smartest of youngsters. Apparently the boy destined to be head of the Church of the England wasn’t sure what to put as his religion on the Eton entrance form. Then there’s the anecdote about William and Kate visiting her Uncle Gary (another self-made Middleton multi-millionaire) at “La Maison de Bang Bang” in Ibiza. William was 24 at the time, but apparently didn’t know it was poor form to play ball in the house, smashing some of Gary Middleton’s glass collectables. Even 4-year-olds know to go outside to play ball!
Kate! Is undeniably a good read written with an accomplished narrative flourish but it has little new to say. Followers of the Royal Family will recognise many of the stories, and while they remain interesting, they are rarely given any fresh analysis. Readers seeking a thoroughly researched and authoritative account of this impressive young royal will ultimately find this to be more froth than substance.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Published by Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster)
ISBN: 9781668260821, June 30 2026, $36.99 paperback, $59.99 hardback
