学英文:两个英国公主的PK - Kate Middleton and Princess Diana

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学英文:两个英国公主的PK - Kate Middleton and Princess Diana.

Kate Middleton visits Witton Country Park on April 11, 2011 in
Darwen, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Kate Middleton and Princess Diana – worlds apart By Claudia
Rahola, AFPWed, Apr 20, 2011 10:18 PM GMT+00:00

LONDON (AFP) – From the moment Prince William put his mother's

sapphire and diamond ring on Kate Middleton's finger, comparisons

between his wife-to-be and the late princess Diana became

inevitable.

More than a decade after Diana's death, the "People's Princess"

remains adored and the new royal bride will be measured against

the young, shy blonde who captivated the world at her wedding to

Prince Charles in 1981.

The royals are understandably wary of comparisons between the two

women, and William himself insisted soon after the engagement that

"no one is trying to fill my mother's shoes".

Diana's marriage was a famously unhappy union which broke down

amid infidelity on both sides, ending in a bitter divorce and then

tragedy, when the princess died in a Paris car crash in 1997.

It is not a tale to comfort a nervous bride, but fortunately,

commentators see more differences than similarities between the

two women.

Despite her lack of aristocratic blood, Kate will be far better

prepared than Diana ever was for royal life when she walks down

the aisle of Westminster Abbey on April 29.

"Kate's been very carefully groomed, it's been a long process over

a period of time and she's got people around her who understand

the modern media.

"She knows exactly what she's getting," said Max Clifford, a top

British PR man who has represented many celebrities.

Kate and William have been together for eight years, whereas Diana

was courted for just six months. In fact, Kate has been waiting so

long for her boyfriend to pop the question that the press dubbed

her "Waity Katy".

But Clifford says the length of time puts their relationship on a

strong footing, saying "William seems to be totally in love with

her and vice versa".

The young couple have had a very modern courtship.

They lived together while at St Andrews University in Scotland,

where they met, and in recent months Kate has stayed with William

on the island of Anglesey in Wales, where he works as a helicopter

search and rescue pilot.

At the age of 29, Kate also has considerable life experience

compared to Diana, who was only 20 on her wedding day, 12 years

younger than Charles. Just five months separate Kate and William,

who is 28.

Diana had left school before finishing her studies and her work

experience was limited to a stint at a nursery.

By contrast, Kate graduated with a degree in art history from a

top university, although her jobs as an accessories buyer for a

clothing brand and then for her family's party goods firm have

been criticised as lightweight.

Kate also had a happier and more stable childhood than Diana,

whose parents divorced when she was young. Kate is close to her

mother Carole and sister Pippa, her maid of honour, and says her

family is a major source of support.

Up to now, William's bride has also had a better relationship with

the press, which hounded the late princess right up to the moment

of her death.

Despite a rocky start following Kate's move to London after

graduation, when photographers mobbed her every time she left the

house, warning letters from lawyers and the palace have caused the

media to back off.

Kate "is an intelligent girl. She has a good head on her shoulders

and is so much older than Diana was and she knows William," said

royal historian Hugo Vickers.

The royal family "must be delighted. She's cautious. She's very

measured -- confidence is not quite the right word, but she is

assured," he added.

Diana was beautiful, charismatic and almost universally loved, but

she was also unstable and the explosive fallout of her split with

Charles cast a pall over the royal family that is only now

starting to lift.

She also overshadowed the other royals, staying firmly in the

limelight even after the divorce through her charitable causes.

"Diana became far more popular worldwide than the royal family,

and in this country -- she was the one everyone wanted to see,

wanted to hear, wanted to be around," said Clifford.

The royals "would have learned from that", he said.

Kate has shown no sign of Diana's love of publicity, although only

time will tell how far her careful plans survive the pressure of

being a fully paid-up member of the royal family.