Kate Middleton: The Princess criticised for 'making a mockery' of the Armed Forces

Kate Middleton didn’t join her husband Prince William in Singapore but that doesn’t mean that her royal duties have stopped. On 8 November, the Princess of Wales visited a regiment in Norfolk as she is now Colonel-in-Chief.

During her visit, the Princess wore pieces of military uniform and drove a war vehicle. This visit and the things she did were not very well received. A look into why…

Kate Middleton the Colonel-in-Chief

Since King Charles became monarch, Prince William’s wife has seen her titles and role within the Royal Family change drastically. Of course she became Princess of Wales. In his first year of reign, King Charles III continued to distribute titles.

That is how, in August 2023, the Princess of Wales became Colonel-in-Chief of the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards. According to Newsweek, this title holds a lot of significance for the King.

They write:

The prince inherited the appointment from his much-loved grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who died in 2002.

Beyond this title, the Princess of Wales was given other military titles in the Navy and in the Royal Air Force.

Kate Middleton’s untimely uniform

Since she is now part of the armed forces, even though she has never actually served in the military or received any military training, the Princess of Wales went to Norfolk. As we’ve explained before, part of that visit consisted of her wearing some pieces of military uniform. That wasn’t well received. When the Daily Mail reported on it, their article gathered over a thousand comments. The majority of them were negative.

Some say:

these cheesy PR shots are a bit much

Theatrical. Love the change of costumes though and the versatility of the actors: from playground to battle ground, from cocktails to ball rooms. All while laughing manically

While the last comment is satirical, other comments actually highlight deeper issues and show that, maybe, this visit and the things included in it were inappropriate.

Thousands that serve under their family live on the streets. No PR will overcome that truth, and no photo will correct it.

A disservice to all the real and truly danger-accustomed Colonels.

You either wear full military uniform or you dont wear it at all. She is making a mockery of those who actually serve their country.

Makes a mockery of all the service men who have actually died and been maimed for the royal family.

It is true that it is difficult to ignore that while the Princess of Wales was playing with a tank, there are currently people who have tanks invading their country and cities.

Read more:

⋙ King Charles and Prince William 'highly inappropriate' defiance of this major Royal Family rule

⋙ Welcoming Prince Andrew back could be a huge mistake for the Royal Family, 'he's the most dangerous'

⋙ Were Prince Harry and Meghan telling the truth? Fresh revelations could link Megxit to Prince William

Sources:

Newsweek: Kate Middleton Given New Titles by King Charles

Mail Online: Kate Middleton dons camouflage gear to drive an armoured vehicle around Norfolk barracks