When Kate Middleton first entered the world of the British monarchy, she found herself navigating the intricacies of royal tradition and ceremony. During these early days, she often turned to the late Queen for guidance and support.

Over the years, their relationship evolved into what Richard Kay of the Daily Mail described as a “grandmotherly” connection. Kate once referred to the late Queen as “a gentle guide,” illustrating the deep bond they shared.

As Kate transitioned from being Prince William’s university sweetheart to assuming the role of the Princess of Wales and a future Queen Consort, her rapport with the Queen only strengthened.

In the Channel 5 documentary “Kate and The Queen: A Special Relationship,” Richard Kay, Senior Editor-at-Large for the Daily Mail, highlighted how the Queen eventually “grew to trust Kate.” He noted the initial hesitation, saying, “I don’t think she really trusted anyone on first impression; we’re all performing the same show, the show is supporting the Queen.”

However, the bond between Kate and the Queen went beyond mere duty. It developed into a sincere and heartfelt connection, characterized by genuine affection akin to that between a grandmother and her granddaughter.

‘But with Kate and the Queen it grew deeper than that, there was a real grandmotherly affection between the two.’

Ingrid Seward, royal expert and editor of Majesty magazine, echoed his comments, saying: ‘I think the Queen saw her strength and saw that she is a caring person who had this amazing affiliation to duty.

‘I think Kate would have really appreciated the kindness and attention the Queen had given to her, and she knows better than anyone how busy the Queen is. She put time aside to make Kate feel appreciated.’

Kate is believed to have formed a stronger bond with the late Monarch after her three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – were born, and made a great effort to involve Her late Majesty in the children’s lives.

Their relationship reportedly went from strength to strength after William and Kate chose to base themselves at Kensington Palace, which is within walking distance of Buckingham Palace.

The pair were even said to often catch up over afternoon tea.

But more than anything, it seemed to be the late Queen’s ability to connect with Kate that was most valued by her as she transitioned from a commoner to a princess.

‘You would expect a lot of grandeur and a lot of fuss, but actually what really resonates with me is her love for the simple things. And I think that’s a special quality to have,’ the Princess of Wales previously said. 

Here, The Daily Mail looks back at the ten most touching moments shared between Kate and her grandmother-in-law. 

1. A heartwarming kiss goodbye! 

When the Royal Family publicly reunited for the first time since the pandemic at Windsor Castle, all eyes were on the Firm to see how they would interact after such a tumultuous nine months.

After a whistle-stop Christmas tour of the UK, Kate and Prince William met with the late Queen, alongside Charles, Camilla, Prince Edward, Sophie Wessex and the Princess Royal.

As the evening came to a close and the Queen began to walk up towards the castle, William could be heard gently calling out to the Monarch: ‘Bye Gran’. 

Then, in a loving show of their close bond, Kate curtseys, before appearing to blow a kiss to her beloved grandmother-in-law as she bids her farewell. 

2.  Just the two of us – their first joint engagement outside of Palace walls in seven years

In 2019, Kate and the late Queen, then aged 92, made their first joint engagement as a duo in years – visiting King’s College London to reopen the Grade II-listed Bush House.

The pair looked incredibly comfortable in each other’s company and even shared a blue blanket in the back of the car as they arrived.

In keeping with tradition, despite being in the closest position to exit the car first, Kate allowed the Queen to do so. 

Etiquette expert William Hanson previously told the Daily Mail how throughout the highly anticipated engagement, Kate had ‘followed the royal book, as usual, to the letter’. 

He added: ‘It’s interesting to see that Kate wore a more muted mid-grey dress, that at times blended in to the surroundings, allowing the Queen to stand out and take the main focus.’

3. Unable to contain their laughter during a Diamond Jubilee visit 

During a children’s sporting event held in Nottingham in 2012 as part of a nationwide tour to celebrate the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Kate shared a moment of incredible laughter with the Monarch.

Her Majesty is seen holding both of her arms out in response to something that has just unfolded, while Kate looks on with a beaming smile as she laughs. 

Behind the scenes, William had been standing on the field in front of his grandmother and wife, intending to fire the starting pistol for the race. 

However, he quickly became mobbed by the excited crowd, with William giving a bewildered look to the late Queen who then proceeded to burst into laughter and hold out her hands in resignation. 

4. A heartfelt homemade Christmas present 

After agreeing to spend Christmas with the late Queen at Sandringham with William and his family for the first time in 2011, Kate was confronted with one incredible challenge: What does one buy the Queen for Christmas? 

Like many newlyweds, Kate had the challenge of choosing gifts for her new in-laws, including the late Monarch.

And so, the princess settled on a thoughtful present inspired by her own grandparents.

Kate decided to use her grandmother’s chutney recipe and make the Queen a homemade jar.

And the late Monarch seemed to greatly appreciate the gift, as Kate revealed that just the next day it was on her dining table.

Recalling the moment, Kate herself said: ‘I can remember being at Sandringham for the first time at Christmas, and I was worried what to give the Queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking: “Gosh, what should I give her?”

‘I thought: “I’ll make her something”, which could have gone horribly wrong, but I decided to make my granny’s recipe for chutney. I noticed the next day that it was on the table. Such a simple gesture went such a long way for me.’

In a clear indication of their blossoming friendship as Kate became solidified into the Firm, the two were pictured sharing a loving embrace as they arrived at the Christmas Day service at Sandringham.

5. A private wedding dress viewing  

Just months after marrying William, Kate’s £250,000 Alexander McQueen wedding dress by Sarah Burton went on display as part of a private exhibition at Buckingham Palace. 

The ivory dress, with a satin bodice, lace sleeves and slight padding at the hips, had been hand-stitched by the world’s best seamstresses at the Royal School of Needlework, using Carrickmacross craftsmanship.

And in a true showing of the budding relationship developing between the reigning Monarch took a tour alongside the princess.

Relieved at the sight of a happy marriage, the Queen was said to be ‘practically skipping’ on the day of Kate and William’s wedding, according to royal biographer Andrew Morton.

‘She had a sense that the future of the Royal Family, her family, was now secure. The monarchy was once again held in admiration and affection by the masses’, he said. 

6. Three generations of women!

When Kate and William announced to the world they had welcomed a girl, Princess Charlotte, to the Royal Family, nobody could have been more pleased than the late Queen.

Indeed, Kate was believed to have forged an even closer bond with the late Monarch after welcoming all three of her children, though the Monarch was described as being ‘really thrilled’ at the prospect of a new young princess joining the Firm.

Speaking in the Queen at 90 documentary in 2016, Kate said: ‘It’s very special us having a new little girl to the family. Very lucky that George has got a little sister. 

‘The Queen, she was really thrilled that it was a little girl and I think as soon as we came back here to Kensington [Palace] she was one of our first visitors here.

‘I think she’s very fond of Charlotte, always watching what she’s up to. George is only two and a half and calls her ‘gan-gan’.’ She always leaves a little gift or something in their room when we go and stay and that just shows, I think, her love for her family.’

7. A joint visit that helped Kate ‘pick up a few more tips’

In March 2012, Kate embarked on a solo visit without her newlywed husband, visiting Leicester alongside the late Queen to begin their tour of the UK as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Speaking in 2016, Kate described the engagement as ‘the most memorable’, adding that she had been ‘rather apprehensive’ about being without her husband.

Reflecting on the role the late Queen played during that poignant engagement, the Princess added: ‘She was very supportive. 

‘The fact she took the time to make sure that I was happy and looked after for that particular occasion, which probably in everything that she’s doing is a very small element, which just shows how caring she is, really.’

Royal correspondent India McTaggart said: ‘Catherine has said the Queen was very supportive of her as she was undertaking her first engagements without William. I think she influenced her by showing her by example.’ 

8. An impeccably alike dress sense between the royal women

When the late couturier Sir Norman Hartnell remarked that ‘the Queen and Queen Mother do not want to be trend-setters,’ he summed up the Monarch’s attitude towards fashion.

‘That’s left to other people with less important work to do,’ he added. ‘Their clothes have to have a non-sensational elegance.’

It is a lesson that Kate has championed: when she appeared on the cover of Vogue in June 2016 for her first-ever fashion shoot, she shunned designer dresses for country casuals.

The late Queen was frugal: she had been brought up in wartime and came from a generation that learned to make do and mend.

She famously had to collect ration coupons for her wedding dress and often recycled her wardrobe. She used to pass on her hand-me-downs to senior staff.

Kate also swaps clothes and accessories with her sister Pippa, such as the Katherine Hooker coat she wore to launch the RNLI lifeboat in Anglesey in 2011 – Pippa was seen in it later that year at the wedding of Benjamin and Georgina Fitzherbert. 

The Princess of Wales has also followed Her Majesty’s guidance when it comes to choice of colour, often selecting block colours across the clothing ‘rainbow’. 

9.Loving jewellery tributes

Since the late Queen’s death in September 2022, Kate has strived to keep the beloved Monarch’s memory alive by often wearing jewellery pieces previously belonging to the late Monarch.

At last year’s National Service of Remembrance, she chose the Bahrain pearl drop earrings, which were worn by the late Monarch in her first royal command portrait by Dorothy Wilding in 1952 and remained a staple throughout her reign.

And while attending Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, the princess was the perfect picture of dignified grace, wearing Her Majesty’s jewels.

Paying a touching tribute to the late Monarch, she wore the Queen’s pearl choker, from Her Majesty’s personal collection, at the service in Windsor.

Likewise, during King Charles’s Coronation in May 2023, Kate wore the George VI diamond festoon necklace for the first time in the official portrait of the event.

A gift from her beloved father, George VI, the late Queen wore the showstopping necklace, featuring three strands of graduated stones, throughout her reign.

The royal mother-of-three wore a pearl necklace and matching earrings that once belonged to Her Majesty as she remembered the late Duchess of Kent during her funeral service in September. 

10. Beaming smiles as Kate looks towards the late Queen as a beacon of guidance 

Throughout the Queen’s long-standing reign, Kate was often seen beaming at her, seemingly in awe her impeccable work ethic and duty.

As the longest-reigning monarch in British history, it seems unsurprising that Kate would seek to soak up as much knowledge and expertise from the woman who knew more about royal life and protocol than anyone else.

Indeed, according to royal expert Victoria Murphy, Kate always described the late Queen as an essential source of ‘gentle guidance’. 

She added: ‘Right from the beginning, Kate had a lot more in common personality wise with Elizabeth.

‘They have something about them which has that inner poise and the capacity to lead and command respect.’

Indicating their unique bond, royal correspondent Katie Nicholl, author of The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown – said that the late Queen offered momentous amounts of support for the princess and acted as a source of assistance even before she was married into the Firm. 

Speaking to Ok! the expert said Her Majesty ‘made her private office and ladies-in-waiting’ available to Kate ahead of the Royal Wedding so she could familarise herself with the inner-workings of royal life.

The author said: ‘[This meant Kate] could go and talk to them first-hand about what it was like to do royal engagements and how one should behave. 

‘And she took up that offer and made sure she benefitted from that experience.

‘They did have a good relationship. Part of that relationship was mentoring and the Queen being able to pass on her advice, her values and her guidance.’