Why does the media do this to Kate Middleton?
I don’t care what Kate Middleton looks like - so why is that the focus of the news story?
Kate Middleton, aka Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, gave a speech at the Earthshot Awards last Sunday.
Did you hear about it?
Perhaps you heard that she ‘recycled’ an Alexander McQueen dress that she had worn a decade earlier?
I didn’t hear that much about the awards (or the ceremony’s focus on helping the planet), but many headlines and column inches were dedicated to how ‘lovely’ Kate looked at the event.
Her ‘gorgeous’ lilac gown. Her ‘age-defying’ make-up. She was even complimented for her ‘understated professionalism’ as she posed for pictures on the green carpet.
After a clip about the event aired on Good Morning Britain, host Richard Madeley’s only comment was that Kate was ‘so slim’ and had a ‘tiny, tiny waist.’
Really? That’s the takeaway?
Despite the name ‘Earthshot’ offering a clue, I had to hunt to find out what the Earthshot event was about. Ideas about saving the planet were not as important as the fashion choices, apparently.
And it was even harder to find mentions (or details) about the role Kate played at the event.
After clicking on several articles, I managed to find one article that said she made an ‘impassioned speech’ – though it shared no details on the content or message of the speech.
Much of the media commentary about Kate was complimentary. Apparently wearing a dress for the second time makes you an eco-warrior. I’d say it makes you like most women on the planet, except most of us don’t have a £4290 custom Alexander McQueen frock hanging in the closet.
But clothing and environmental notes aside, what really bothered me is that all the press coverage was dedicated to Kate’s appearance. No one talked about her speech. Well, not no one. It took some digging, but eventually, I did find an article that talked about Kate’s speech.
Surprisingly, it was not from a newspaper. It was from Hello! magazine.
The article complimented Kate’s delivery as she presented the final award of the night to the Republic of Costa Rica, in the category Protect and Restore Nature. The writer focused on the content of the speech (and limited their commentary about Kate’s appearance to one line that said she ‘looked stunning in a ten-year-old lilac Alexander McQueen gown she first wore to a Bafta event in Los Angeles in 2011’).
Fashion is a business - I get it
I understand that Kate Middleton’s fashion choices are going to get press coverage and public interest. I even recognized the lilac dress she wore! But what I find so disheartening is that Kate’s appearance seems to be the dominating topic of any coverage she gets.
It doesn’t matter if she’s highlighting a cause or playing tennis, there will always be a focus on what she wears – and how she looks.
She ‘wows in white.’
She ‘stuns in a fitted top.’
She ‘steals the show in sequins.’
Even as I sat down to research this piece, two new stories appeared that talked about Kate attending a charity event that day. But the headlines said she ‘stuns in a red skirt’ and looked ‘radiant’ before mentioning anything about the charity she was supporting.
I think Kate is a beautiful woman and she and/or whoever is handling her sartorial choices is doing a great job.
But I would love to see more coverage about who Kate is.
Who is Kate?
She is interested in photography.
She is sporty.
She cares about mental health.
What else?
I expect fashion magazines to talk about fashion, but I’d love to see them include more of the woman Kate has become while being under the microscope for the last two decades.
Traditional newspapers and TV news programmes could up their game here, too. Comment on the issue she’s supporting or thing she’s doing – not her body or her hair.
And though the press is (mostly) kind to her now, Kate is approaching 40 – and her appearance will change as the years go on. The youthful Kate who filled papers will get wrinkles. Maybe even gray hair. And I can already see the headlines –about botox, or facials, or whatever lotion or potion she swears by to ‘defy age.’
What message do we send to society (and especially young people) when we treat a woman’s appearance like it’s the most interesting thing about her?
She may be the Future Queen of England, but she is also a person. And she’s one of the most recognizable women in the UK.
Kate’s not the only Royal who gets this treatment. The Queen and Camilla get it. And sadly, even little Princess Charlotte does, too. And while some may argue this is part of being a Royal, we know that this scrutiny over a woman’s appearance is not limited to the Royal Family.
So, while the Royal Family looks to ‘modernize,’ maybe the media’s coverage of Kate (and other women and girls) can move with the times as well. Let’s hear about the books Charlotte reads, or her favorite school subject.
And let’s celebrate women’s ideas and personalities as much (or perhaps even more than) their clothing and appearance.
Wouldn’t that be modern?
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Beth Collier loves writing about the intersection of pop culture and business. She helps leaders and teams improve their communication and creativity skills through coaching and team workshops. Her clients benefit from her global business experience, her Midwestern Ted Lasso-style optimism, and her endless supply of pop culture references.
She’s also notoriously curious, and shares stories that show the power of creativity (it IS a business skill) and curiosity in her weekly newsletter, Curious Minds.
She has also been known to recycle her clothes, just like Kate.