Princess Kate's response to a comment about her one day becoming Britain's "queen" has been praised by fans online as footage from a 2013 engagement has resurfaced on social media site, TikTok.
Kate is currently the second-most senior female member of the monarchy, behind Queen Camilla. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, she became the new Princess of Wales.
The Princess of Wales title is held by the wife of the Prince of Wales, the title given to the eldest son of the monarch which denotes their status as heir to the throne.
Kate's role within the monarchy has taken on increased focus so far this year, as she stepped out of the public eye in January amid health concerns. The princess underwent abdominal surgery in January, before going on to announce in March that cancer had been detected and a course of "preventative chemotherapy" had been recommended.
Kate made her first official public appearance on June 15 at the Trooping the Colour celebrations and attended the Wimbledon Tennis Championships a month later. In a health update given in June, the royal said that though her treatment remains ongoing, she hoped to begin undertaking work from home and making more public appearances over the summer.
In the absence of regular new appearances from Kate around Britain, fans have taken to social media to share highlights and favorite moments from past engagements.
Uploaded to TikTok by user, princessmiddleton, on August 30, footage of Kate meeting members of the public during a 2013 visit to the town of Grimsby in Northern England has been viewed over 110,000 times.
In the clip, Kate is seen shaking hands with an elderly lady who told her: "I'm waiting for you to be queen!"
The comment drew a reaction from the crowd surrounding them, and Kate quickly acknowledged it with an off-the-cuff response.
"You'll be waiting an awfully long time!" she said lightheartedly.
At the time, just two years into her marriage, the prospect may have seemed far away, but today with her husband next in line to inherit the throne and with her 75-year-old father-in-law, King Charles III, experiencing his own cancer battle, the event could seem closer.
When Prince William one day becomes king, Kate will take on the title of queen consort. The "consort" suffix denotes that she would be queen by virtue of being married to a king and not monarch in her own right. By tradition, the "consort" is dropped soon after accession, with Kate likely thereafter to be known as "Queen Kate" or officially "Queen Catherine." This was the process which Queen Camilla went through after her accession in 2022.
The viral video also includes numerous clips of Kate out and about at official events. One clip shows the princess eating conch flesh during a visit to the Bahamas in 2022, with another showing footage captured during her engagement interview with Prince William in 2011.
Captioned "Our modern day princess," the footage has received in excess of 20,000 likes and numerous comments, many of which have praised Kate and her regal behavior.
"Queen Catherine will be magnificent🥰," wrote one TikTok user.
"Shes already the queen of my heart..💖," posted another, with a further comment reading: "She's going to be the best Queen ever 🥹."
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
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