Kate Middleton: Redefining The Princess Archetype For Kids
Regardless of where you may fall on the hoopla over the royal wedding, your kids simply by way of existing were effected by it. If they didn’t catch glimpses of it on TV, they most likely heard about it at school, especially from the girls deep in the throws of their respective princess phases. But even if you cringe at the mention of “royal wedding,” it’s worth noting that Kate Middleton has redefined a lot of traditional notions about princesses and ultimately bettering the image for young girls.
She’s Educated -Kate met her future husband while in college, which does keep with many conventional love stories. However, Kate didn’t just settle for an MRS degree once she met someone that she loved, even though he was a prince. She graduated right along side with him, procuring her own degree in art history.
She’s Not Old Money -The newly minted princess, although coming from wealth, comes from a self-made family. The Middletons, on her father’s side, are lawyers and mill owners while her mother is descended from coal-miners. Kate’s parents built their own fortune by developing an Internet party-supply company called Party Pieces.
She Was Bullied Like Hell -The princess was victim to bullying while a young teenager at Downe House, a boarding school for girls. Kate was not a boarder, but according to a close friend, she was harassed by boarding girls for “small things.” The mean girls would often steal her books or get up from a table unanimously when she would take a seat at lunch. The bullying got so bad that Kate’s parents took her out of the school in 1996 after completing only two terms.
She’s Generous -Kate has been heralded for breaking with tradition on many things when it came to her wedding, but most notably she did not have a wedding registry. The princess broke away from the stereotype of the self-absorbed “my day” bride when she asked guests to donate to a list of 26 charities — one of which was for children who are bullied.
She’s Had A Mellow Wedding Website -Kate and William’s wedding website is “indistinguishable from any other young couple’s page on theknot.com,” writes The New Yorker. A quick jaunt to the page would reveal it be rather demure considering the very prominent royal aspect of the ceremony. Kate, or perhaps her PR team’s, wish to keep the website simple reflects less of a fixation on the performance of the wedding and more of an emphasis on the partnership.
She’s Dated Her Husband For Awhile -William and Kate dated for eight years before walking down the aisle, a good point to make when talking to kids who became fixated on the notion of love at first sight. The couple did eventually marry, but only after investing nearly a decade in the relationship before making their matrimonial commitment. The couple also broke up briefly in 2007, veering away from unrealistic fairytale notions that romance is steady and comes without lows or bumps in the road.
She Was Not a Virgin When She Married — And No One Cared – Despite that Princess Diana was declared a “bona fide virgin” when she wed in 1981, the royal family didn’t take issue with this bride’s sexuality. The couple even lived together prior to their wedding day, suggesting that love or marriage doesn’t have to come with a vow of abstinence.
