'She'll be a queen who really listens' - the 'welcome change' Princess Catherine could bring to monarchy revealed

Who could forget when the Princess of Wales made her first ever podcast appearance in February 2020? The mum-of-three sat down with host and author Giovanna Fletcher for an episode of Happy Mum, Happy Baby, sharing several deeply personal revelations, including her experience of "mum guilt".

The meeting has made quite an impression on Giovanna, who has recently revealed why she firmly believes Catherine and Prince William could bring about a "welcome change" in the future as King and Queen Consort. Describing the Princess as "full of heart", the podcaster predicted she'll be a "queen who really listens, who leans in, who’s very aware of what’s going on".

Speaking to The Times, Giovanna said, "What I think surprised me was how nervous we both were... I think there’s no denying, when you talk to Catherine, you know what she means to the country, what influence she will have on life going forward".

"So I think I was nervous because of that. She was nervous because she knew that she was about to speak in a way that she’d never spoken before," she added.

Describing how Prince William was instrumental in helping them get over the nerves, she continued, "Prince William came into the room and he said, 'Just talk.'"

It wasn’t live, so edits could be made, he reportedly rationalised. What followed was a 90-minute, no-holds-barred interview.

Giovanna revealed that the Princess of Wales was just as relatable and warm when not recording the episode, with the pair laughing about "feral" children. The Princess also shared the very relatable frustration she faced - always losing her phone.

She said, "[Catherine] told me that she was notoriously bad at keeping an eye on her phone. She always loses her phone. All of her Christmas presents that year were related to her keeping track of her phone".

Five years later, Giovanna reunited with the Princess as she gave her first speech in two years following her cancer diagnosis. The podcast also recently attended the future Queen's Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey and even wrote about the experience for The Telegraph.

When asked if the perceived perfection of the Princess can perhaps cause her to come across as aloof, Giovanna completely disagreed. She declared, "She’s full of heart. I think she’ll be a queen who really listens, who leans in, who’s very aware of what’s going on - like the King with the King’s Trust.

"I think [the Prince and Princess of Wales] are going into it with their eyes completely open. I don’t feel like it’s 'us v them'. We have to work together as a society to make that change happen [and] I think they get it," Giovanna added. "They understand things. And so, for that reason, I think it will be a welcome change."