The ‘steep learning curve’ Kate Middleton overcame when she married Prince William

The Duchess of Cambridge was forced to overcome a “steep learning curve” when she joined the Royal Family back in 2011.

• Kate Middleton had to integrate herself into the most famous family in the world, which a royal expert has branded a ‘steep learning curve’
• Kate and William will celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary in April 
• It follows royal news that an expert claims Prince Philip never wanted to live to 100

Marrying into a new family and meeting the in-laws can be a daunting prospect for anyone, let alone Kate Middleton who was joining the Royal Family upon marrying Prince William.

And now a royal expert has revealed the “steep learning curve” the Duchess had to go through when she and William tied the knot back in 2011, ten years after meeting at St. Andrew’s University in Scotland. 

Speaking as part of a Channel 5 documentary, When the Middletons Met the Monarchy, Anjula Mutanda - a relationship psychologist - explained just how difficult that transition into The Firm must have been.

More from Woman&Home

• Best mascara
• Best eye cream
• Best blenders 

She explained, “Here we have the monarchy, it has its own peculiar rules and protocol which stretch back hundreds of years.

“Now can you imagine stepping into that world and trying to integrate yourself. That is a very steep learning curve.”

For Prince William and his brother, Prince Harry, these rules, regulations and protocols are second nature - another part of their life. But for Kate and her family, it was a whole new world.

“For the Royal Family they have been born and raised into it, they know the rules of engagement at big events like a royal wedding,” Anjula added. 

“For the Middleton family I think it would only be fair to offer them guidance, support and help about protocol otherwise the likelihood of making a mistake is pretty high.”

It comes after it emerged that the Queen had “grave concerns” about her grandson’s future wife prior to their engagement. 

Her Majesty was keen for Kate Middleton to forge her own identity before marrying into the Royal Family.

Royal biographer, Katie Nicholl, writes in her book ‘The Making of a Royal Romance,’ “Privately [the Queen] had grave concerns and believed that Kate needed to have a job and an identity in her own right before an engagement was announced.

“While the rest of the world speculated that an engagement was on the horizon for William and Kate, the Queen believed an announcement should be postponed until Kate was settled in a career.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have now been married for nearly a decade and are arguably two of the hardest working senior members of the royal family, having picked up extra responsibilities since the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.