Kate Middleton has access to the most coveted possessions, from Alexander McQueen gowns to heirloom jewelry, yet many of her tried-and-true choices are pretty down-to-earth. Below, check out the Princess of Wales’ must-haves, from her favorite book to her camera, and more.
1. The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor - the truth and the turmoil
Tina Brown’s The Palace Papers picks up where her book The Diana Chronicles left off, beginning with how the House of Windsor reinvented itself after the tragic death of Princess Diana. Brown then chronicles the deaths of Queen Elizabeth’s beloved mother and sister, Prince Charles’ marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles, the rise of Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to leave the royal family. This is a must-read on the British royal drama of the 21st century.
Buy: The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor - the truth and the turmoil
2. A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writing
In the rare photos of Kate and Prince William working in their Kensington Palace residence, royal observers noticed a collection of Penguin’s “Clothbound Classics” displayed on the princess’ desk. Among them was Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings, as well as other beloved tomes: Emma, Sense and Sensibility, The Hound of Baskervilles and Middlemarch.
Buy: A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writing
3. Camera
Kate has long been passionate about photography. She studied art history at university and continued to hone her skills on the side. These days, the Queen herself took most of the portraits of the Cambridge family. Make like a princess and let your photographic instincts run wild with a user-friendly camera like this one.
Buy: Camera
4. Coloring books by Johanna Basford
Beloved illustrator and adult coloring book author Johanna Basford recently revealed on Instagram that when Prince William awarded her an OBE in 2016, he said his wife loved her books. “She colors [sic]. Kate is one of us,” she wrote.
Buy: Coloring books by Johanna Basford
5. Hold Still: A Portrait of our Nation in 2020
During the pandemic, the then-Duchess of Cambridge launched a photography project that inspired people in the United Kingdom to document this historically unprecedented time. That project later became this book, with a contribution from Kate herself.
Buy: Hold Still: A Portrait of our Nation in 2020
6. HRH: So many thoughts on royal style
If you’re curious about the symbolism behind Kate’s styles, consider picking up HRH by Elizabeth Holmes, a coffee-table book that’s as much fun to read as it is to display.
Buy: HRH: So many thoughts on royal style
