The video, which shows a pregnant Kate expecting her first child while on a solo visit to the St Andrews Hospice in Grimsby, has been viewed over 250,000 times in 24 hours and gained in excess of 24,000 likes since its posting by user the.royal.watcher.
Kate was filmed meeting members of the hospice community including staff and patients in a walkabout as part of a larger engagement in Grimsby, a town in the north east of England.
The video shows an interaction between the royal and an elderly lady who tells her “I’m waiting for you to be queen!”
Quickly, in response as the crowd of people acknowledged the comment, Kate responded: “You’ll be waiting an awfully long time!”
The TikTok video caption commented on the royal’s off-the-cuff response saying that “the Princess of Wales handled this well.”
Others have praised the princess, with one posting: “As an American I can say she’ll make an amazing Queen to her people!”
Another user noted “she always has smart answers,” with another observing: “This was so lovely! 🥰”
Despite the event shown in the video taking place nearly a decade ago, Kate did not move one step closer to becoming queen until September this year when Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 at her Scottish home of Balmoral Castle.
The order that members of the royal family inherit the crown is determined by the official line of succession which is a list determined by blood proximity to the reigning sovereign.
Kate can never inherit the British throne or become queen in her own right, because she is not a blood royal. As the wife of Prince William, however, she will become a queen consort when he accedes to the throne following the death of King Charles III.
Currently, William is first in the line of succession, up from his position as second during the lifetime of Elizabeth.
Kate will inherit the title of queen consort from Queen Camilla, who—as the wife of the king—takes on the title as a courtesy.
Camilla is due to be crowned during Charles’ coronation ceremony scheduled to take place in May 2023. Kate is expected to have a similar crowning alongside William.
If William does not, for whatever reason, accede to the throne (e.g. he dies before King Charles) then his eldest son Prince George will become king, meaning Kate would never be queen.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth, as one of his first acts as sovereign, King Charles made his son the Prince of Wales, the highest subsidiary title belonging to the crown. By extent this elevated Kate from simply the Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge to the Princess of Wales.
In his first address to the nation, Charles said:
“Today I am proud to create [William] Prince of Wales. The country whose title I’ve been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty.
“With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground where vital help can be given.”
Newsweek approached Kensington Palace for comment.
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