Did Kate Middleton meet Princess Diana?

When her father-in-law became King Charles III, Kate Middleton got a promotion from Duchess of Cambridge to Princess of Wales, making her the first Royal to claim that title since the late Princess Diana, mother to her husband, Prince William.

Middleton is obviously well-ingratiated into the Royal Family at this point, having been married to the heir apparent to the throne since 2011 and having been romantically attached to William for a decade prior. Charles is clearly a fan, having recently appointed her his “Royal Companion.” But did Princess Catherine ever meet Princess Diana?

Did The Crown season 6 invent its Kate and Diana scene?

If you are an avid viewer of Netflix’s The Crown, and take it as automatic that everything in the show is biographically accurate, then you might be under the impression that Kate and Diana met at least once.

In the seventh episode of the show’s sixth and final season, “Alma Mater,” one scene set in December 1996 shows Carole and a 15-year-old Kate Middleton out Christmas shopping when they are stunned to see Diana and an equally adolescent William raising money for charity. Kate, who has a crush on William, goes up to them and gives a generous donation.

“That’s very generous,” Diana says to the young girl, before asking her name. “Catherine,” buts in Carole, before Kate corrects her with her preferred nickname. “Say thank you to Kate,” Diana tells William, after which the two families part with an exchange of “Merry Christmas.”

So is this scene based on fact? Nope, this is pure fiction! Kate and Diana never met. Kate and William did not in fact get to know each other until they were students at St. Andrew’s University in 2001.

What has Kate Middleton said about Princess Diana?

Kate herself has confirmed that she never had the pleasure of meeting Diana, although it’s clear that she wished her late mother-in-law had gotten to be a part of her life, and that of her children.

In April 2023, Princess Catherine made a public appearance at the Dowlais Rugby Club in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales where she was recorded discussing her sapphire engagement ring — which used to be Diana’s and was then given to Kate by William — with a member of the public.

“It’s the same ring and it’s exactly the same size as when I tried it on,” Kate told the civilian. “It’s very special. What an honor to be able to wear it.” When the conversation turned to the topic of Diana, Kate confirmed, “I never, sadly, got to meet her.”

Asked about how she thinks Diana would’ve been as a grandmother to George, Charlotte, and Louis, Kate replied, “She’d be brilliant… We miss her every day.”