From Meghan Markle's Criticism to Kate Middleton's Scrutiny: How Royal Women Navigate Life on the Balcony (Exclusive)

Simon PerryWed, June 17, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC

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Meghan Markle at Trooping the Colour on June 9, 2018 in London; Kate Middleton at Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024 in LondonCredit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; James Veysey/Shutterstock -

The spotlight shines bright on the royal family at Trooping the Colour each June

Royals author Catherine Mayer takes PEOPLE into some of Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton's memorable appearances there in this week's issue

Mayer examines how history has judged royal women in the new book Divide & Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles, out June 23

For generations, the British royal family has taken the world stage at Trooping the Colour — with many eyes on the royal women.

All eyes were once again on Kate Middleton at the celebration on June 13, where she, Prince William and their children joined King Charles, Queen Camilla and other royals for the day's military pageantry — including the Buckingham Palace balcony appearance.

Royals author Catherine Mayer tells PEOPLE in this week's exclusive cover story that the Princess of Wales, 44, commands real power: "Kate is the closest they have to a rockstar member these days, and she's the one everyone wants to see."

From Anne Boleyn to Kate and Meghan Markle, Mayer examines how history has judged royal women in the new book Divide & Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles, out June 23.

Reflecting on Queen Elizabeth, the author says that the late monarch cultivated an image that became synonymous with the monarchy itself.

Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Louis, Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William at Trooping the Colour in London on June 2, 2022.Credit: DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty

"She found her look and maintained it for more than half a century," she says. Through wars, political upheaval and cultural change, that consistency offered reassurance and stability to generations — helping shape her historic 70-year reign.

A generation later, Princess Diana became the defining royal celebrity of her era, and her extraordinary popularity forced the monarchy to grapple with a new reality.

"She had turned out to be a bigger star than the system could handle," Mayer says of the late Princess of Wales, who died in 1997. "She had this huge ability to draw crowds. On the balcony or anywhere, she was the focus of attention."

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Credit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Years later, her son Prince William's wife, Princess Kate, found herself under scrutiny at Trooping the Colour in 2024. Her attendance at the June event was the subject of much discussion, as it served as her first royal event after announcing that she was undergoing cancer treatment that March.

"Kate not only had to look vibrant and in command of her role, but she knew she would be scrutinized more than ever," Mayer says of the moment. By channeling Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, she projected poise under pressure; the Princess of Wales later shared that she was in remission in January 2025.

For Meghan, her 2018 Trooping debut became an early test of royal expectations weeks after her royal wedding to Prince Harry. The Duchess of Sussex's off-the-shoulder dress was criticized as a breach of protocol, though Mayer says palace sources denied such a rule existed.

"Everyone leapt on that. It's catnip for the U.K. press," she says of the fashion backlash.

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Once viewed as the monarchy's ultimate outsider, Queen Camilla has undergone one of the royal family's most remarkable image transformations in her own regard.

Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

"She found something and stuck with it," says Mayer. "There's been a softening, glamorizing process. She knows who she is."

Queen Camilla has been a steady presence for King Charles throughout his royal reign and at his official birthday parade, a constant support as he continues to undergo treatment for cancer.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”