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Over the last week, Catherine, Princess of Wales, delivered a masterclass in perfection as she succeeded in a trifecta of high‑stakes appearances.
From Trooping the Colour to Garter Day and her bold turnout in yellow at Royal Ascot, it was the kind of week that reminds us exactly why she is the monarchy’s most powerful asset.
The images were immaculate. And while she wore three different looks, they sent the same message: now that Catherine is back, she remains the polished, poised and serene princess the public has come to love and expect.
But perfection is never effortless. And royal biographer Catherine Mayer — who has met Catherine and covered the monarchy for decades — tells me perfection is an enormous burden.
The burden of being perfect
For women within the royal family, perfection isn’t a compliment. It’s a requirement of the job.
In her new book Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles, Mayer poses a simple question about Kate: “What can’t she do?”
From her stylish wardrobe to how lightly she seems to wear the tiaras once worn by Princess Diana, to her seemingly effortless parenting and her surprise piano performance at Together at Christmas in 2021 — at times it feels as though there isn’t anything she can’t do.
More than one royal correspondent has told me over the years that Kate doesn’t just appear perfect — she is. And yet, it’s easy to forget that this wasn’t always the narrative.
For years she made headlines for “failing” to land a proposal from Prince William during their decade of dating. Interestingly, that ten years is now reframed as the reason she transitioned so seamlessly into royal life.
Then there was the time she stepped out with a few grey hairs as a new mother to Prince George.
“People forget there was a long period where she was criticised a lot,” Mayer says. “Often for things like looking tired — which any young mother is liable to do. Every small criticism chips away at your sense of self unless you have incredibly strong defences.”
The alternative — being seen as perfect — can cost just as much.
“Everyone understands that negative reporting is hard for a person in the public eye to bear,” Mayer tells me. “But the narrative of perfection is also burdensome, and we shouldn’t ignore that.”
The last royal rock star
That image of perfection also creates another very real burden for Catherine: at times, she seems to be single‑handedly holding up the institution.
When headlines were dominated by the arrest of the former Prince Andrew, it was Catherine who steadied the narrative, stepping onto the BAFTAs red carpet in a pink gown and a bouncy blow‑dry, instantly shifting the public mood. It’s a pattern that has repeated itself for years.
When Mayer wrote her biography of Charles in 2015, there were 18 working royals. Today, it is a very different situation.
Elizabeth II is gone. King Charles continues to perform his duties while undergoing cancer treatment. With Harry and Meghan out of the picture, William and Catherine are the only senior royals under 60 — yet only one of them is a global style icon and the monarchy’s most relatable public face.
“It all falls on Kate,” Mayer says. “Think of all that pressure — the pressure of perfection, the pressure of being the only real rock star the royal family has at this point.”
So while this past week has been fun for royal watchers — the fashion, the balcony moments — it is also a reminder that Catherine is the one they call on when they need stability.
It is a massive burden for her to carry, and only possible because of her near perfect image. But that image is fragile, and people are quick to tear it down, as seen in the now‑infamous Photoshop incident during her sick leave.
“It cannot last,” Mayer says. “It can’t last because she is mortal — and it can’t last because the press narrative will eventually shift. You can’t keep telling the same story.”
The modern day image maker
Mayer’s most striking observation is almost haunting.
“There’s that fear in some cultures that a camera can steal a part of your soul,” she says. “Relentless scrutiny — even when it’s framed as positive — takes something away from a person.”
Catherine cannot do the things the rest of us take for granted. She cannot have an off day, let her grey roots show, have bags under her eyes or leave the house looking anything less than immaculate.
Perfection may look serene, but it is built on vigilance. And it is something Mayer believes Catherine actively contributes to, seeing her as a contemporary image‑maker.
“Elizabeth I controlled her image through portraiture,” she says. “Kate is doing the modern take on it.”
Mayer points to Catherine’s art‑history background, explaining that it helps her understand the power of controlling her image — not just for today’s audience, but for how she will be seen in future years.
“She has been the mastermind behind the videos on social media that feel so intimate, and she pioneered the practice of giving photographs of her family to the media, which has helped preserve their privacy by making paparazzi images less attractive,” Mayer explains.
It is clever and strategic — yet another layer of work the public never sees.
So while we enjoy the immaculate tailoring and the serene smiles, it’s worth remembering the truth beneath them. Behind the flawless façade is a woman under enormous pressure.
Catherine’s greatest achievement may be making the burden invisible. But the more invisible it becomes, the more dependent the monarchy grows on her ability to carry it.
Buy Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles by Catherine Mayer here.
