_edited.png)
At 44, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Follows the Rule Modern Women Reject
- TheSwishCompany
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
If you tuned in to the fourth season of Netflix's Emily in Paris in preparation for its recently released season, you may remember a throwaway comment by Lily Collins' character that mocked Catherine, the Princess of Wales. While commenting on a long-sleeved, more mature gown her friend was wearing, she derogatorily stated it looked too “Kate Middleton”, as if it was something to hold your nose at. It was a brief moment, but the implication lingered: that Catherine, the Princess of Wales, is culturally too quaint, too quiet, too careful, and too restrained to be relevant anymore.
But the truth about Catherine’s stepping out of line with modern women is more important and more unsettling for the culture at large.
When we delve into Catherine’s story, people are unsure how to place her because she doesn't fit a recognizable mold. She is a sort of modern-day feminine enigma.
Catherine doesn’t express ambition in a way that can be easily categorized. She doesn’t use provocation as power or rebellion as her identity. She doesn’t declare her own importance, so in a world obsessed with labels and categories, she isn't understood. But she also isn’t a typical tradwife, nor could you call her a boss babe. She has a public role within the Crown, carries institutional responsibility, and still prioritizes motherhood and marriage above all else.
This is precisely what Classical Femininity does.
Classical Femininity isn’t about conforming to a modern format based on the whims of a trend, and it cannot be flattened into an aesthetic or reduced to a list of achievements or a job title. It is not measured by what a woman does, accumulates, wears, or declares about herself, but by the virtues she exhibits in day-to-day life.
This is where Catherine, Princess of Wales, the future Queen of England, quietly stands apart from the modern “celebrity” archetype.
While Catherine is often framed as simply following in the footsteps of her husband’s future legacy, she has made it all her own by embracing a classical approach to her femininity. She is not replicating the role of her late mother-in-law the beloved and iconic Princess Diana, but moving alongside her legacy, shaping a new path that remains deeply anchored in tradition and marked by an absence of self-display.
Perhaps unknowingly, Catherine is shaping an entire generation of women who are weary of chaos, noise, and self-manufacturing to recognize there is power in softness, authority in dignity, and delight in prioritizing her family. Yes, she has received criticism for this, but it hasn't stopped her. She reminds women that their confidence doesn't rely on what they do, but who they are as a woman of strong character.
She hasn't postured herself against the modern world, either. Rather, she offers an alternative to it that takes her much further.
For those of you who have joined us for the 5 Day Princess Catherine Challenge, you’ll know there are a myriad of lessons– both practical and theoretical– we can learn from The Princess of Wales in a mere observation. As she turns 44 today, it’s worth revisiting three ways her influence continues to deepen and provide a new approach towards femininity in a modern age:
First, she practices formation instead of performance.
While it may be a modern cliche to equate being a princess with being a drama queen, Catherine presents the opposite. Her life is not oriented around constant self-expression, but investment in others. The law of reciprocity is apparent, and through every role she inhabits– wife, mother, public figure, future queen– she approaches it by prioritizing the other party gracefully. She knows the eyes of the world will be on her, but she doesn’t bask in it… in fact, you'll notice that she won’t ever look directly into a camera if she can help it.
Rather, she sees her role as the arrow that points towards the causes, projects, and initiatives that matter most. She isn’t trying to define who she is through her work; she knows her identity isn’t tied up in her role. In small tweaks, like creative clothing rewears, becoming her own personal stylist, and not releasing the details on her clothing at official appearances, are an effort to make the people and causes the focus, not herself. Classical Femininity understands that the formation of one's identity outside of their role precedes authority, and she exhibits this well.
Second, she presents restraint as a civilizing force.
Catherine may be highly educated, well spoken, and fun to be around, but her composure is not passive. The mother of three recognizes that her restraint and comportment matter with who and what she is surrounded by. Thus, she stabilizes her surroundings and enters spaces with her signature posture (hands together, feet turned out) and doesn’t compete with chaos.
When she steps out, she isn’t looking to prove herself or become the center of the conversation, but rather she engages with people from all walks of life– dignifying them in a civilized way that doesn’t allow for politics or preference to hijack their relationship. Her thoughtfully chosen conversation topics, compliments, and actions build up those around her rather than create more criticism from a world waiting for her to fail. She is incredibly skilled, but uses her talents strategically, like surprising us all with a piano accompaniment for her first Christmas Carols concert, and again with her daughter Princess Charlotte in 2025.
Finally, she treats her femininity as an inheritance. Catherine has never attempted to redefine womanhood on her own terms or declare that femininity needs a cultural overhaul to be powerful. She knows that it can be powerful, but not in the way that culture says that it is, through a woman's sexuality or beauty. Rather, she presents a feminine inheritance that must be carried out and respected through reverence, discipline, and stewardship for future generations.
Now at forty-four, having survived cancer, media firestorms, and public familial fallout, she is stronger than ever. She is not a woman trying to keep up with the moment, but rather reminding us that some forms of influence outlast every trend. Whether or not she recognizes the magnitude of this example, she is already fulfilling it. There are few women on the mainstream stage, with the influence of Princess Catherine, exhibiting Classical Femininity well. We hope that her example inspires others in the coming years, so young women don't see a life of duty as mundane or boring, but worthy of our admiration and praise.
Rather than being too quaint, too quiet, too careful, or too restrained to matter, Classical Femininity is unconcerned with influence altogether. It rises above cultural approval and, in doing so, becomes far more powerful. It may trend for a season or fall out of favor entirely, but virtue is never obsolete. A virtuous woman is always admirable, and the future Queen of England remains one of our clearest examples.
Happy Birthday, Princess Catherine– may we continue to follow what is True, good, and beautiful together.
