Late Queen's incredible gesture to Kate Middleton - Princess of Wales 'really appreciated it'

There were many reasons that Princess Kate held the late Queen Elizabeth in such high regard, including one 'really appreciated' gesture that the former monarch made to Kate

When Kate joined the Royal Family officially on her marriage to Prince William, she had to get used to a whole new way of living. While the future Queen was used to intense scrutiny from the press and public after many years of dating William, she had never before been an official representative of the crown itself.

Kate was gently eased into public duties, and given a good length of time to get used to her new life and role. As her and William's family grew with the arrival of Prince George and Princess Charlotte - and later again with Prince Louis - Kate was also given a lot of space to focus on her young family, away from the spotlight.

There was one person who Kate has repeatedly credited with making her feel incredibly welcomed and supported in royal life - the late Queen Elizabeth. Over the years, Kate has spoken of the late monarch in only the highest terms, and a Channel 5 documentary, Kate & The Queen: A Special Relationship, explored their strong dynamic in depth.

One royal expert - Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Majesty magazine - explained that the way the late Queen behaved toward Kate helped the Princess settle into royal life and official engagements more easily. "I think Kate would have really appreciated the kindness and attention the Queen had given to her, and she knows better than anyone how busy the Queen is. She put time aside to make Kate feel appreciated," the expert said.

Seward also noted that the late Queen also seemed to hold Kate in very high esteem, "I think the Queen saw her strength and saw that she is a caring person who had this amazing affiliation to duty."

In 2016, Kate opened up about how much her grandmother-in-law had helped her settle into royal life, in a documentary to mark Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday. Kate had to attend an engagement in Leicester, without her husband William who was engaged elsewhere, and so the late Queen had taken the time to come with her.

"The most memorable engagement for me I suppose was an away day to Leicester and I went without William so I was rather apprehensive about that. I think there is a real art to walkabouts, everyone teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting so I think I've still got to learn a little bit more and pick up a few more tips I suppose," Kate explained.

However, despite Kate's nerves, the late Queen "was very supportive. The fact she took the time to make sure that I was happy and looked after for that particular occasion, which probably in everything that she's doing is a very small element, which just shows how caring she is, really."

Do you have a story to tell? Email: emma.mackenzie@reachplc.com