EXCLUSIVE: Prince William and Kate Middleton may be one of the most photographed couples in the world, but the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge don’t view themselves as celebrities.
The British prince, who is second in line to the throne, is the subject of a new documentary on True Royalty TV titled “Prince William: A Monarch in the Making,” which explores the 38-year-old’s journey as the future King of England. Presented by leading royal correspondent Royah Nikkah, the special features interviews with those close to the father of three.
“The joy of royalty and British royalty particularly is [that] none of the royals see themselves as celebrities,” Nick Bullen, co-founder and editor-in-chief of True Royalty TV, told Fox News. “They’re born into this job.”
“Most celebrities crave the fame,” he continued. “Most celebrities have worked to get that fame, whether it’s with talent or, in the case of sometimes these reality stars, maybe lack of talent, but it’s there for the royals from day one. And it’s something you can never escape.”
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In this April 29, 2011, file photo, Britain's Prince William and his bride Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, leave Westminster Abbey, London, following their wedding. (AP Photo/Tom Hevezi)
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The executive producer has been making programs about the royal family for nearly 20 years and has worked closely with William’s father, Prince Charles, for eight. Bullen pointed out that, unlike Hollywood stars, royals are global celebrities from the moment they’re born. But in the case of William and Middleton, 38, “duty comes first.”
“They are [one of] the most famous people in the world and they can’t escape it,” he said. “I think they choose not to consider the celebrity world because they literally don’t see themselves as part of it. They haven’t sought fame… They’ve got a duty and they do the best that they can with their duty. And you know, we’ve seen when royalty and celebrity come together -- it can sometimes not work.”
Bullen pointed out that one of the secrets behind the couple’s lasting marriage is their quest to enjoy a sense of normalcy when cameras don’t track down their every royal engagement.
At the beginning of Middleton’s courtship to William, the British press was quick to point out her middle-class background. Her father is a former British Airways officer and her mother a former flight attendant -- a far cry from her husband’s upbringing in Kensington Palace.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge visits SOS Children’s Village, a charitable organization in the heart of the city, on October 18, 2019, in Lahore, Pakistan. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty)
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William and Middleton met at the University of St. Andrews where they first became friends. After several ups and downs in their relationship, the couple tied the knot in 2011.
Bullen shared that, as the future king, William was given the freedom to pick his future queen consort -- and he chose the woman he loved.
“There’s genuine love,” he explained. “I think Kate and William are genuinely in love and have a really great partnership. If you look at those photographs that we’ve got in the documentary of them in the early years up in Anglesey, this very remote part of the U.K. -- they were walking on the beach and laughing a lot. They are [simply] a young married couple.”
“The queen was very clever in suggesting that they go to Anglesey because it reflected the life she had in the early years of her marriage with Prince Philip when they went to Malta… They were able to live as a normal husband and wife in Malta where Philip was doing his Naval duty. I think the queen has said they were some of the happiest years of her life.”
Bullen pointed out that Middleton was never shy in introducing her world to William -- a far cry from his Kensington Palace upbringing.
“They were clearly friends before they were in a relationship,” Bullen said. “That foundation was set in the early part of the marriage… And I think Kate’s family, the Middleton family, gave William a support network that is somewhat different [than] the monarchy.”
William, who grew up in the public eye, lost his mother Princess Diana in 1997 when he was just 15 years old. But as his relationship with Middleton blossomed early on in their romance, he was given a different perspective on family -- one that he is now sharing with the couple’s three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“Clearly he loves his father,” Bullen continued. “He loves his grandparents. But it’s a more formal role within that family. When you go to the Middletons, he was having kitchen suppers on a Friday night in a very informal way… For all of us, that seems very normal. But for him, it wasn’t.”
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Bullen revealed that over the years, William has had a complex relationship with the press, especially after his mother’s death. However, he’s aware of the media’s power in raising awareness on his causes and is determined to be a “21st century monarch.”
“I think you see him controlling his story much more than other royals have done in the past,” he said. “Kensington Palace’s Instagram is very detailed. His social media feeds are very detailed. He’s embracing technology and how it allows him to present the story in his own way. Once it’s out and available to the public, it can be dissected in any number of ways. But it’s his story to tell. And that’s what’s most important to him -- not fame.”
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