The Crown gives us a clue to the real Kate that we’ve overlooked – and underestimated – all along

She rented a house near her children’s school just for playdates, enjoys a drink with friends and thinks about being royal as a job, says Vassi Chamberlain who talks to those who know her. After years of navigating her husband’s world, the Princess of Wales is finally getting back to being the assured woman she was when she met him

Kate and William at their University of St Andrews graduation (Shutterstock)

The conclusion of The Crown marks the appearance of the royal family’s most outwardly charismatic member: the Princess of Wales. But despite all the recent speculation, she appears in it only fleetingly, ending as it does with Charles and Camilla’s 2005 wedding; a relief, no doubt, in light of the recent race allegations against her uncovered in a Dutch draft of Omid Scobie’s latest book Endgame.

The finale covers William’s Eton years and his first interactions with Kate at the University of St Andrews, including the infamous moment in March 2002 when our future queen walked down a charity catwalk wearing nothing but black underwear and a fully transparent sheath dress. It’s the moment William supposedly first took note of her beauty, apparently commenting: “Wow, Kate’s hot.”

That near-naked outing couldn’t be more at odds with the Kate we know now. It begs the question: how much do we really know about her other than the immaculate and discreet way she carries out her official duties? Her catwalk turn at university, as well as the sexy skater-girl look of yellow hot pants and sequin halter-neck she wore at another fundraiser in London in 2008, might be the clue to the real person we’ve overlooked all along.