Is Kate the New Grace Kelly? Will She Rival Diana?

Photo courtesy of the Daily Mail

There has been a lot of discussion about Kate (formerly Middleton) being the new Grace Kelly or the next Diana.  She certainly has the appeal that Grace and Diana exhibited.  Kate is certainly the most photographed person in recent history.  Her face graces everything from the front of magazines and the pages of newspapers to commemorative mugs, flags, shirts etc.  I think she has the potential to be as popular as Diana was (which is really saying something!).  And the people certainly respond well to her in public appearances.

Photo source Wedzilla Blog

Kate and Grace were both commoners who married royalty and became famous in their own right as a result.  Grace was famous prior to her marriage and probably would have achieved great fame even without it.  With Kate the jury is still out on how she will fare long term.  But if the way she has handled the fame so far is any indicator of how she'll do as a royal I think we'll see a young woman who rivals both Grace and Diana with how much she is loved by the people.  Hopefully Kate's life will be longer and happier than Grace and Diana.  And on her wedding day all good wishes go to her and her new husband (who is a very lucky man!).  It will be interesting to watch her sister, Pippa in the media as she becomes the famous sister of the Prince and Princess. 

The comparisons of Grace's wedding gown and Kate's have been made.  Some lauding Kate for choosing well, some saying her dress was not modern enough.  My personal opinion is I love the romance of her gown and the lace on her skirt and train was incredible.  As fashion forward as Kate can be I think she wanted to choose a gown that would embody old fashioned values and romance and this dress did just that.  Somehow a strapless dress just wouldn't have looked as 'royal' as her choice did.  Feel free to leave your opinions on Kate's dress and how you think she compares to former royals.