The Princess of Wales had a ‘phenomenal’ mentor in The Queen and ‘isn’t trying to emulate’ Princess Diana in her new role, an expert has claimed.

Royal correspondent Katie Nicholl – author of The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown – said the late monarch offered huge support to the Princess before she married into the Royal Family in 2011.

Speaking to Ok! , the expert said Her Majesty ‘made her private office and ladies-in-waiting’ available to Kate ahead of the Royal Wedding so she could familarise herself with the inner-workings of royal life.

The author said: ‘[This meant Kate] could go and talk to them first-hand about what it was like to do royal engagements and how one should behave. And she took up that offer and made sure she benefitted from that experience.’

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Royal author claims the Queen was hugely supportive of the Princess of Wales and made her private office and ladies-in-waiting available to her before she married into the Royal Family in 2011. The Duchess of Cambridge and Queen pictured together in Leicester in March 2012

The expert says the new Princess of Wales isn’t trying to ’emulate’ her late mother-in-law and instead ‘pays respect’ by rewearing her jewellery. Princess Diana pictured at a royal event in the 1990s

In turn, the expert highlighted how Kate always prioritised spending time with the late Queen – who wanted to make sure the future Princess of Wales was ‘well prepared’ to take on the role.

Referencing how the couple took their children Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four, to Balmoral every summer, she added: ‘Those were precious, valuable moments for Kate to develop a close relationship with the Queen.

‘And they did have a good relationship. Part of that relationship was mentoring and the Queen being able to pass on her advice, her values and her guidance.’

As her mother-in-law was the last royal to hold the title of the Princess of Wales, the expert said Kate is aware that she has ‘formidable shoes’ to fill.

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Royal expert Katie Nicholl says the Princess of Wales prioritised spending summer with the children and the Queen at Balmoral as they were ‘precious, valuable’ moments. The Queen and Duchess of Cambridge pictured in July 2011

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Left: Princess Diana wears the Lover’s Knot Tiara at a state banquet in 1982. Right: The Princess of Wales wore the tiara for a state banquet at Buckingham Palace last week. Katie Nicholl says the Princess of Wales likes to ‘pay respect’ to her mother-in-law with her style choices as opposed to ’emulating’ her in the role

However, the expert says Kate is intent on ‘carving her own identity’ within her new position.

‘She’s not letting anything overshadow or overwhelm the Princess of Wales that she wants to be,’ Katie added. ‘I think that’s very much to her credit and her confidence.’

Rather than directly ’emulating’ Princess Diana, the expert says the Princess of Wales prefers to pay her respects with her jewellery.

At a state banquet at Buckingham Palace last week, the mother-of-three paired her bespoke white Jenny Packham gown with the Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara, which was a wedding gift to Princess Diana.

She completed her tiara with some diamond and pearl drop earrings that also once belonged to her late mother-in-law, and wore a blue sash as well as the Royal Family Order, made up of a portrait of the Queen on a yellow ribbon.

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The Princess of Wales (pictured speaking to a little girl at the unveiling of a Windrush generation statue in June 2022) has written an article stressing the importance of a focus on early years development

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Kate, 40, (pictured on a nursery visit in Edinburgh in 2021) has long championed early years development and the importance of focusing on how children are nurtured during the first five years of their lives

Since taking on her new title as Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton has made sure one thing has remained at the top of her priority list – the mental health of younger generations in the UK.

The Princess, who often spoke out about mental health and wellbeing when she was Duchess of Cambridge, wrote about the importance of nurturing and understanding early years this weekend as part of her campaign to improve the wellbeing of young people.

Since assuming her new title following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, many of the Princess’s public engagements have been centred around mental wellbeing of children, young people and adults, from leading a news broadcast about teenage mental health on BBC Radio 1 to a visit to a neonatal unit in Surrey which looks after new mothers.

Writing in The Telegraph, mother-of-three Kate stressed about the importance of the early years of a child’s life from pregnancy to the age of five in shaping their wellbeing throughout their life, as the brain rapidly develops. She called on parents and professionals to recognise the ‘unique potential of early childhood’ in creating a safe, loving and nurturing environment for every child.

The Princess of Wales cited issues like homelessness, poor mental health and addiction, noting that the first five years of a child’s life are key in shaping how they fare as adults. She called for an increased focus on these early years in order to tackle such issues effectively.

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She concluded: ‘I am determined to continue to shine a light on this issue and to do everything I can to secure much greater focus on those first crucial few years for the youngest members of our society – they are, after all, our future.’

Kate’s opinion piece reflects several years of work in early years, maternal and teenage mental health as she continues her crusade to improve the wellbeing of the nation.

Last year, Kate launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, established to increase focus on the first years of a child’s life in impacting later life.

According to its website, the centre focuses on three main areas: research into the significance of early years, collaboration with public, private and voluntary sectors to share knowledge; and campaigning to raise awareness of the issue.