LONDON: Few men would feel comfortable hearing their future wife compared to their mother. But that is what Prince William would face week in, week out, had he the time and inclination to wade through the royal press cuttings. Commentators have been quick to compare and contrast royal fiancee Kate Middleton with William's late mother Princess Diana, whose style, charity and scandalous divorce from Prince Charles made her arguably the world's most famous woman. Yet the differences far outweigh the similarities, experts and PR gurus say, which could bode well for the young couple's long-term happiness as well as Middleton's relationship with the Queen and her royal brood. “I would say Princess Diana was a one-off,” said Max Clifford, one of Britain's most prominent image makers. “She (Diana) became just about the biggest star in the world. She became far more popular all over the world than the royal family. I think Kate's going to be far more controlled, she's going to be far more part of William.” Diana was just 19 when she was betrothed to William's father Charles in 1981. He was a 32-year-old veteran and she a timid newcomer to the “goldfish bowl” life of a leading royal whose fashion sense was more “Sloane Ranger” than sophisticated chic. But as her relationship with Charles and the royal family soured, her confidence, sense of style and stature as a charity figurehead grew, making her a favorite with the public. Arthur Edwards, the Sun tabloid's veteran royal photographer, agreed that Middleton was more likely to see her role as a foil for William rather than a lone star. “She (Diana) had this compassion of a nun but the looks of a supermodel. We've yet to see if Kate's going that way. I suspect maybe not, I think maybe she'll be more of a support to Prince William and less of an individual in her own right.” In contrast to Diana's perceived naivety at the time of her marriage, the 29-year-old Middleton is nearly 10 years older and has known William for a long time. They met at university a decade ago.
