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William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story - The Instant Sunday Times Bestseller
From the relentless media scrutiny and controversies of their 2022 Caribbean Tour to the shock cancer diagnoses of both the Princess of Wales and the King, this captivating biography by acclaimed royal expert Russell Myers intimately traces the story of William and Catherine’s relationship from their earliest meeting at St Andrews University to the present day.
Drawing on exclusive access to numerous palace insiders, it offers never-before-told context about the biggest stories to have followed the Prince and Princess of Wales in recent years – including the Sussex departure, the forming of the ‘Cambridge way,’ and the death of Queen Elizabeth II – and provides an unprecedented glimpse into their private lives.
Highlighting the couple's resilience and dedication in the face of adversity, William and Catherine presents a deeply personal perspective on how the events the Prince and Princess have weathered together will shape their vision for a modern monarchy – as they set out to secure its safe continuation at a time of extreme change and turmoil.
Drawing on exclusive access to numerous palace insiders, it offers never-before-told context about the biggest stories to have followed the Prince and Princess of Wales in recent years – including the Sussex departure, the forming of the ‘Cambridge way,’ and the death of Queen Elizabeth II – and provides an unprecedented glimpse into their private lives.
Highlighting the couple's resilience and dedication in the face of adversity, William and Catherine presents a deeply personal perspective on how the events the Prince and Princess have weathered together will shape their vision for a modern monarchy – as they set out to secure its safe continuation at a time of extreme change and turmoil.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 26, 2026
91 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 6, 2026
PUBLISH DATE: Mar 10, 2026
William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story by Russell This book offers an accessible, journalistic look at the lives of Prince William and Catherine as they step into a new era of the British monarchy. Russell Myers draws from his years as a royal correspondent to trace both of their backgrounds, the development of their relationship, and the challenges they faced as intense media attention surrounded nearly every stage of their lives.
One theme that stood out throughout the book is how deeply the press shaped William’s early adulthood. The constant media scrutiny created enormous pressure on him, particularly during the early years of his relationship with Catherine. The author does a good job illustrating how that pressure affected William’s decisions, his anxiety about the future, and his desire to protect his personal life from the same level of intrusion that defined much of his parents’ lives.
The book also highlights the important role Queen Elizabeth played in William’s life after the loss of his mother. Myers presents her not only as a monarch but as a grandmother whose guidance and stability helped shape William’s approach to responsibility and leadership.
While the narrative occasionally moves through background history quickly, the overall portrait that emerges is one of two people trying to balance personal happiness with the extraordinary expectations placed upon them. It provides helpful context for understanding how William and Catherine have grown into their roles and why their leadership may represent the monarchy’s next chapter.
Overall, this is an informative and approachable account that will appeal to readers interested in the modern royal family and the pressures that come with life in the public eye.
NARRATOR: Russell Myers
PUBLISHER: Dreamscape Media
FORMAT: audiobook
DURATION: 10 Hours, 49 Minutes
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story by Russell This book offers an accessible, journalistic look at the lives of Prince William and Catherine as they step into a new era of the British monarchy. Russell Myers draws from his years as a royal correspondent to trace both of their backgrounds, the development of their relationship, and the challenges they faced as intense media attention surrounded nearly every stage of their lives.
One theme that stood out throughout the book is how deeply the press shaped William’s early adulthood. The constant media scrutiny created enormous pressure on him, particularly during the early years of his relationship with Catherine. The author does a good job illustrating how that pressure affected William’s decisions, his anxiety about the future, and his desire to protect his personal life from the same level of intrusion that defined much of his parents’ lives.
The book also highlights the important role Queen Elizabeth played in William’s life after the loss of his mother. Myers presents her not only as a monarch but as a grandmother whose guidance and stability helped shape William’s approach to responsibility and leadership.
While the narrative occasionally moves through background history quickly, the overall portrait that emerges is one of two people trying to balance personal happiness with the extraordinary expectations placed upon them. It provides helpful context for understanding how William and Catherine have grown into their roles and why their leadership may represent the monarchy’s next chapter.
Overall, this is an informative and approachable account that will appeal to readers interested in the modern royal family and the pressures that come with life in the public eye.
NARRATOR: Russell Myers
PUBLISHER: Dreamscape Media
FORMAT: audiobook
DURATION: 10 Hours, 49 Minutes
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Read
March 8, 2026Not a royal fan or royalist or whatever, but I needed a good audiobook for moving house, unpacking etc. and this was just great for that - engaging, interesting and insightful. The narrator did well. However, for a royal family that prides itself on not responding to or engaging in "drama" about the firm, a reasonable amount of this novel feels like a response to (Prince?) Harry's novel Spare - how juicy and engaging!!
Any references to the King excusing or not condemning Andrew are painful so CW that even his name is said.
If you follow the royals or even have a sideline idea of what is going on like me, I think this is a good read.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my audio-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Any references to the King excusing or not condemning Andrew are painful so CW that even his name is said.
If you follow the royals or even have a sideline idea of what is going on like me, I think this is a good read.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my audio-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 26, 2026
This biography was genuinely engaging, offering a warm and humanizing look at the lives of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales. It highlights that, despite their public roles and extraordinary circumstances, they navigate the same hopes, dreams, and personal struggles that shape all of our lives. That balance between privilege and vulnerability is what makes their story so compelling.
Thank you #Netgalley and #Dreamscapemedia for this ARC.
Thank you #Netgalley and #Dreamscapemedia for this ARC.
March 18, 2026
Very interesting and well written and organized, but I find it ironic that Russell Myers calls Omid Scoobie the Sussex mouthpiece when he very clearly is the Wales mouthpiece
March 29, 2026
William and Catherine by Russell Myers is a good read to learn about the couple. I particularly liked learning about Princess Catherine’s early years with her family. The story is sequential and is very easy to follow. I enjoyed the narration read by Myers.
I have tried to keep up to date with the Royal family since the early 2000s when I spent a semester abroad in the UK. This book would be great for a person unfamiliar with the couple that wanted to learn more about the Prince and Princess of Wales. You also learn information about other senior royals.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I have tried to keep up to date with the Royal family since the early 2000s when I spent a semester abroad in the UK. This book would be great for a person unfamiliar with the couple that wanted to learn more about the Prince and Princess of Wales. You also learn information about other senior royals.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
March 26, 2026
Thank you to #Netgalley for a free copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.
Prince William has interested me for a while. I am not a William groupie. To be honest, until his disastrous marriage, I thought Harry was more fun and had a more engaging personality. But he couldn't see from a mile away what his fiance was so....
William will forever be painted in purple prose as the "dutiful" one because the press and the monarchy need that narrative. Just like Elizabeth II and her younger sister, Princess Margaret were the dutiful and the wild-child in their day. It's all "spin." The ridiculous t.v. show The Crown has made this much worse--so much fiction in that show, but people believe it.
William is just enough older than Harry that he understood more of the selfishness of his parents and their horrible marriage. Oh, we've all heard the [probably made up] precious story of him shoving Kleenex under the bathroom door to crying Mummy. Gag. The truth is Charles and Diana both made their sons feel abandoned. It's in this book and it's dead obvious. Even though the boys only boarded at school on a weekly basis, boarding school does that to 8 years olds. And being ping-pong balls sent between warring parents on the weekends and vacations exacerbates this. These two were given supremely bad parents. Saint Di played to the media with trips to [closed to the public] amusement parks and all the rest of it. Charles spent his time with them in private. But most of their childhood was spent upstairs in the nursery suite with nanny or at boarding school while Mummy slept with anyone who'd have her and Pa chased Camilla. End of it.
In school William, like Earl Spencer, was a very good student. Harry had to repeat a year and got into Eton only because Diana was killed. His parents had been shopping less academic schools for him. William, though, was known to be [understandably] overwhelmed by his destiny and not sure he wanted it. He dithered on colleges, dithered on what his role would be in the family, and even dithered on the girl he ultimately decided was the love of his life. I think that dithering shows he isn't merely Di's son, but also Charles'.
What this book shows is that he got his choice of wife 100% correct. Like Queen Mary, she knew she was getting both a husband and a career. She accepted that. William, like his great-great grandfather, George V [Mary's husband] grew in so many ways after marrying her and being truly loved by her and embraced by her non-royal, non-aristocratic family. He is "solid" in so many ways now beyond the sort of maturing we all do as our 40s come to pass. His time working in a demanding job as a search and rescue pilot also forced him out of himself and to think first and foremost of others.
Catherine, as the book tells us, who right to issue a "put up or shut up" order in their courtship [like Philip tried to do with Charles about Diana]. She has been his "rock" since day one and he is hers. They are united on the things that matter. [For those who don't know the "affair" William supposedly had was admitted to have been made up by the very people who made it up].
William and Catherine were given years of being on the side of the spotlight in which to get to know each other, be sure, and then start their marriage in relative privacy. While this had a lot to do with keeping the attention on the Sovereign and the Heir, it was also a very wise thing to allow them. 3 of Queen Elizabeth's 4 children divorced. They also set very tight parameters for how they will do the job while their children are growing up. Usually the children and taken to school and picked up by a parent. None have yet gone to boarding school, following the trend today of even upper-class parents trying to be hands-on parents when possible [plus sales tax on school fees]. Soon it will be announced where George will go to Secondary School and likely that will mean boarding school.
The current disaster for the monarchy of the King and Catherine both having cancer, another senior royal heavily embroiled in the worst sex scandal just about ever, and William's own brother marrying a narcissist, will take a rock-solid couple to see it through and secure the future of the monarchy. It seems likely that King Charles will leave the Prince Harry mess for William to deal with which is sad. He should follow the example of his 3rd cousin, former Queen Margarethe of Denmark, and of Carl Gustav of Sweden, and strip the titles from his non-working son and other non-working royals. The slimmed down monarchy should be the Sovereign and the Heir and the future heir.
One thing the book revealed that truly impressed me from William was his backing the change in the Succession so that the first born is heir, even if female. [That has been done in most of the remaining European monarchies]. It is, of course, too bad that it was not made retroactive for the descendants of Queen Elizabeth for it leaves the Princess Royal, behind her younger brothers. He was also the one who chose George's names though no mention is made of them being the names of all but one of his male Spencer cousins. His choice for a boy was George or Louis. Catherine's choice was Alexander or, for a girl, Alexandra. Well, George Alexander Louis it was.
William's main problem is, compared to the older royals, he is "work-shy" choosing what he will and won't do. While he has kept his promise to step-up once he was the heir, but still prefers to focus on big things like his Earthshot Prize.
Of course he does the daily grind of what must truly be mind-numbingly boring investitures and the like, but he needs to come to see that handing out "gongs" as the medals given in investitures are irreverently called, mean a great deal to the people who receive them. Like his ill-fated Great-Great Uncle, Edward VIII, he often lets his boredom show. That's not good. you have to learn to shut your brain off and smile. For everyone receiving an award it is a once-in-a-lifetime event. And for those who adored his late mother, it is even more special. He has to come to terms with it--investitures and ceremonies are the bread a butter of royal "work." In exchange you get an really "elevated" lifestyle and one heck of an income. He likes the idea of him being "normal" and he isn't. No one else gets to take off the entirety of their children's holidays or just stop working when someone is very ill [unless the take whatever type of family and medical leave their country has--usually with economic consequences] Few people get a mansion in London, a country mansion in Norfolk and another mansion in Windsor along wtih a world-class nanny and other staff. He has to accept that his is not "just Billy."
Time will tell if the way William and Catherine have raised their children will keep especially Prince Louis from going off the rails and into trouble like so many "spares"--not only in the British Royal Family have done. While I hope Charlotte will some day be Princess Royal and help George when he is King, I think Louis should be raised knowing he has no royal role. He should be guided to an appropriate career. Imagine if, as was rumored at the time, Harry had been allowed to be a pro polo player or if he'd been allowed to go to the UK equivalent of an open admission university? Don't just send Louis into the military. That day is over. Let him be a gentleman farmer or a dentist, or [whatever works for him]. But raise him to know that he is not competing with George and to be proud of George. That is the true test William and Catherine face.
A few notes on the book: Edward VIII abdicated--not Edward VII who had been dead for over a quarter of a century. It is not good for a book to start with such an error! Taking a source like Omid Scoobie or the Daily Mail seriously doesn't bode well for a book. Spare is mentioned a lot, but as the Palace said about other Harry and wife stories "recollections may vary." The author takes every source as fully vetted and peer reviewed when most are hearsay at best. Trying to give a balanced account is exactly what a biographer should do. But using dubious sources to do so isn't the sign of an excellent book.
Finally, the audio performer treated every sentence like it was a pronouncement from God. There was so much purple prose and so many idiotic statements [at Peter Phillip's wedding before she married William, Catherine, with Chelsy, stayed on the sidelines for family pictures was one such. OF COURSE THEY DID!! Good grief!]. This is a typical, mass-market royal biography. One or two new credible new revelations and a total rehash of things published elsewhere for the balance. I've read or skimmed nearly every major and many minor royal books since 1977--trust me.
My Verdict
3.0
William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story by Russell Myers
I listened to the audio version of this book supplied to me by #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Prince William has interested me for a while. I am not a William groupie. To be honest, until his disastrous marriage, I thought Harry was more fun and had a more engaging personality. But he couldn't see from a mile away what his fiance was so....
William will forever be painted in purple prose as the "dutiful" one because the press and the monarchy need that narrative. Just like Elizabeth II and her younger sister, Princess Margaret were the dutiful and the wild-child in their day. It's all "spin." The ridiculous t.v. show The Crown has made this much worse--so much fiction in that show, but people believe it.
William is just enough older than Harry that he understood more of the selfishness of his parents and their horrible marriage. Oh, we've all heard the [probably made up] precious story of him shoving Kleenex under the bathroom door to crying Mummy. Gag. The truth is Charles and Diana both made their sons feel abandoned. It's in this book and it's dead obvious. Even though the boys only boarded at school on a weekly basis, boarding school does that to 8 years olds. And being ping-pong balls sent between warring parents on the weekends and vacations exacerbates this. These two were given supremely bad parents. Saint Di played to the media with trips to [closed to the public] amusement parks and all the rest of it. Charles spent his time with them in private. But most of their childhood was spent upstairs in the nursery suite with nanny or at boarding school while Mummy slept with anyone who'd have her and Pa chased Camilla. End of it.
In school William, like Earl Spencer, was a very good student. Harry had to repeat a year and got into Eton only because Diana was killed. His parents had been shopping less academic schools for him. William, though, was known to be [understandably] overwhelmed by his destiny and not sure he wanted it. He dithered on colleges, dithered on what his role would be in the family, and even dithered on the girl he ultimately decided was the love of his life. I think that dithering shows he isn't merely Di's son, but also Charles'.
What this book shows is that he got his choice of wife 100% correct. Like Queen Mary, she knew she was getting both a husband and a career. She accepted that. William, like his great-great grandfather, George V [Mary's husband] grew in so many ways after marrying her and being truly loved by her and embraced by her non-royal, non-aristocratic family. He is "solid" in so many ways now beyond the sort of maturing we all do as our 40s come to pass. His time working in a demanding job as a search and rescue pilot also forced him out of himself and to think first and foremost of others.
Catherine, as the book tells us, who right to issue a "put up or shut up" order in their courtship [like Philip tried to do with Charles about Diana]. She has been his "rock" since day one and he is hers. They are united on the things that matter. [For those who don't know the "affair" William supposedly had was admitted to have been made up by the very people who made it up].
William and Catherine were given years of being on the side of the spotlight in which to get to know each other, be sure, and then start their marriage in relative privacy. While this had a lot to do with keeping the attention on the Sovereign and the Heir, it was also a very wise thing to allow them. 3 of Queen Elizabeth's 4 children divorced. They also set very tight parameters for how they will do the job while their children are growing up. Usually the children and taken to school and picked up by a parent. None have yet gone to boarding school, following the trend today of even upper-class parents trying to be hands-on parents when possible [plus sales tax on school fees]. Soon it will be announced where George will go to Secondary School and likely that will mean boarding school.
The current disaster for the monarchy of the King and Catherine both having cancer, another senior royal heavily embroiled in the worst sex scandal just about ever, and William's own brother marrying a narcissist, will take a rock-solid couple to see it through and secure the future of the monarchy. It seems likely that King Charles will leave the Prince Harry mess for William to deal with which is sad. He should follow the example of his 3rd cousin, former Queen Margarethe of Denmark, and of Carl Gustav of Sweden, and strip the titles from his non-working son and other non-working royals. The slimmed down monarchy should be the Sovereign and the Heir and the future heir.
One thing the book revealed that truly impressed me from William was his backing the change in the Succession so that the first born is heir, even if female. [That has been done in most of the remaining European monarchies]. It is, of course, too bad that it was not made retroactive for the descendants of Queen Elizabeth for it leaves the Princess Royal, behind her younger brothers. He was also the one who chose George's names though no mention is made of them being the names of all but one of his male Spencer cousins. His choice for a boy was George or Louis. Catherine's choice was Alexander or, for a girl, Alexandra. Well, George Alexander Louis it was.
William's main problem is, compared to the older royals, he is "work-shy" choosing what he will and won't do. While he has kept his promise to step-up once he was the heir, but still prefers to focus on big things like his Earthshot Prize.
Of course he does the daily grind of what must truly be mind-numbingly boring investitures and the like, but he needs to come to see that handing out "gongs" as the medals given in investitures are irreverently called, mean a great deal to the people who receive them. Like his ill-fated Great-Great Uncle, Edward VIII, he often lets his boredom show. That's not good. you have to learn to shut your brain off and smile. For everyone receiving an award it is a once-in-a-lifetime event. And for those who adored his late mother, it is even more special. He has to come to terms with it--investitures and ceremonies are the bread a butter of royal "work." In exchange you get an really "elevated" lifestyle and one heck of an income. He likes the idea of him being "normal" and he isn't. No one else gets to take off the entirety of their children's holidays or just stop working when someone is very ill [unless the take whatever type of family and medical leave their country has--usually with economic consequences] Few people get a mansion in London, a country mansion in Norfolk and another mansion in Windsor along wtih a world-class nanny and other staff. He has to accept that his is not "just Billy."
Time will tell if the way William and Catherine have raised their children will keep especially Prince Louis from going off the rails and into trouble like so many "spares"--not only in the British Royal Family have done. While I hope Charlotte will some day be Princess Royal and help George when he is King, I think Louis should be raised knowing he has no royal role. He should be guided to an appropriate career. Imagine if, as was rumored at the time, Harry had been allowed to be a pro polo player or if he'd been allowed to go to the UK equivalent of an open admission university? Don't just send Louis into the military. That day is over. Let him be a gentleman farmer or a dentist, or [whatever works for him]. But raise him to know that he is not competing with George and to be proud of George. That is the true test William and Catherine face.
A few notes on the book: Edward VIII abdicated--not Edward VII who had been dead for over a quarter of a century. It is not good for a book to start with such an error! Taking a source like Omid Scoobie or the Daily Mail seriously doesn't bode well for a book. Spare is mentioned a lot, but as the Palace said about other Harry and wife stories "recollections may vary." The author takes every source as fully vetted and peer reviewed when most are hearsay at best. Trying to give a balanced account is exactly what a biographer should do. But using dubious sources to do so isn't the sign of an excellent book.
Finally, the audio performer treated every sentence like it was a pronouncement from God. There was so much purple prose and so many idiotic statements [at Peter Phillip's wedding before she married William, Catherine, with Chelsy, stayed on the sidelines for family pictures was one such. OF COURSE THEY DID!! Good grief!]. This is a typical, mass-market royal biography. One or two new credible new revelations and a total rehash of things published elsewhere for the balance. I've read or skimmed nearly every major and many minor royal books since 1977--trust me.
My Verdict
3.0
William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story by Russell Myers
I listened to the audio version of this book supplied to me by #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 29, 2026
This book offers, in my opinion, a chance to see William and Catherine as they really are and not what the gutter press tabloids would have us believe. The past few years for them have been challenging to say the least and this gives you an insight as to how they met those challenges head on.
Their relationship and why it took so long for William to propose is also explained. Bring heir to the throne and wanting a normal life for yourself can only be conflicting and the public breakdown of his parents marriage also had an effect.
There is much reference to Harry and his book Spare, but I feel this gives context to situations that have been blown up massively in the press.
Whether you like the royal family or no, this book gives you an insight into their lives, the traditions of years gone by, how difficult it must be to have every inch of your life under the microscope.
Their relationship and why it took so long for William to propose is also explained. Bring heir to the throne and wanting a normal life for yourself can only be conflicting and the public breakdown of his parents marriage also had an effect.
There is much reference to Harry and his book Spare, but I feel this gives context to situations that have been blown up massively in the press.
Whether you like the royal family or no, this book gives you an insight into their lives, the traditions of years gone by, how difficult it must be to have every inch of your life under the microscope.
March 11, 2026
Thank you to Net Galley and Dreamscape Audio for the ALC of this title.
I have always been a fan Catherine so I was excited to receive this book. I think the information was very well organized and delivered. I also enjoyed the narrator.
I did think that there was a lot of emphasis on Henry and Meghan but I guess it was impossible to tell the story of William and Catherine without mentioning them.
If you are a fan of the royals or just enjoy a good biography, I would recommend this title.
I have always been a fan Catherine so I was excited to receive this book. I think the information was very well organized and delivered. I also enjoyed the narrator.
I did think that there was a lot of emphasis on Henry and Meghan but I guess it was impossible to tell the story of William and Catherine without mentioning them.
If you are a fan of the royals or just enjoy a good biography, I would recommend this title.
March 26, 2026
I recently finished William and Katherine: The Intimate Inside Story by Russell Myers. I listened to this book on audio and the narration was by Russell Myers himself. I felt like this book gave a really great overview of both William and Catherine‘s lives. It starts off with a look back into William’s childhood, starting with the rise and fall of Charles and Diana‘s marriage. It then follows William through his early childhood and into his college days at Saint Andrews. Once we ate introduced to William as a college student, we jump over to the life Catherine (then known as Kate) and her background. It covers her early days with her parents in England and then jumps to her life abroad, when her father took a job in the Middle East and covers their move back to their native England.
The story picks up with William and Katherine both at university and outlines their love story. The story covers William’s relationship with both the late queen, as well as the current king. It also outlines his relationship with the press and how that is shaping the way he interacts today and the type of monarchy he would ultimately like to lead. I do appreciate that the book pretty much goes up till modern day. It even covers Catherine and King Charles‘s cancer diagnosis.
I thought overall the book was a well written biography of their lives. It really focuses on the roles that Catherine l and William want to have both as current Prince and Princess of Wales as well as the roles they would like to have once they become king and queen themselves. I also thought Myers did a good job covering the rift with Prince Harry. I have previously read Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, and it was interesting to see the juxtaposition between that story and the story that was presented here. Overall, I would highly recommend this audiobook for anybody who is interested in the royal family and specifically, William and Katherine. Thank you to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC.
The story picks up with William and Katherine both at university and outlines their love story. The story covers William’s relationship with both the late queen, as well as the current king. It also outlines his relationship with the press and how that is shaping the way he interacts today and the type of monarchy he would ultimately like to lead. I do appreciate that the book pretty much goes up till modern day. It even covers Catherine and King Charles‘s cancer diagnosis.
I thought overall the book was a well written biography of their lives. It really focuses on the roles that Catherine l and William want to have both as current Prince and Princess of Wales as well as the roles they would like to have once they become king and queen themselves. I also thought Myers did a good job covering the rift with Prince Harry. I have previously read Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, and it was interesting to see the juxtaposition between that story and the story that was presented here. Overall, I would highly recommend this audiobook for anybody who is interested in the royal family and specifically, William and Katherine. Thank you to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC.
March 7, 2026
I may live in the US, but I also enjoy keeping an eye on the British royal family.
This book looked like a good opportunity to learn more about the current Prince and Princess of Wales.
Some notes from listening to this audio book:
🤴👸Russell Myers methodically takes us through the lives of the Prince and Princess step by step in a chronological order. My linear brain felt very much at ease.
👑Heavy is the head that wears the crown. This idiom is repeated for a reason. Even though the British royals are not actually running the government, they still have a long history of guiding and serving the people. Queen Elizabeth II is a hard act to follow.
👪 The children in line for the throne after Prince William are still relatively young. Their oldest son George just turned thirteen during the writing of this book. At one point Prince Willam notes that the throne George inherits will most likely be very different than the one King Charles III took over relatively recently.
🎧I found the narration by the author to be a bit vanilla. Direct quotes from individuals interviewed or passages from reports, books, etc. often seemed to fade into the narrative. His handling of the Sussex scandal was covered in a sensible way without pointing fingers. How would a royal couple spend half their time raking in $$$ by giving tell-all interviews to the likes of Oprah and others while spending the remaining half "serving" their country. It just doesn't compute!
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book looked like a good opportunity to learn more about the current Prince and Princess of Wales.
Some notes from listening to this audio book:
🤴👸Russell Myers methodically takes us through the lives of the Prince and Princess step by step in a chronological order. My linear brain felt very much at ease.
👑Heavy is the head that wears the crown. This idiom is repeated for a reason. Even though the British royals are not actually running the government, they still have a long history of guiding and serving the people. Queen Elizabeth II is a hard act to follow.
👪 The children in line for the throne after Prince William are still relatively young. Their oldest son George just turned thirteen during the writing of this book. At one point Prince Willam notes that the throne George inherits will most likely be very different than the one King Charles III took over relatively recently.
🎧I found the narration by the author to be a bit vanilla. Direct quotes from individuals interviewed or passages from reports, books, etc. often seemed to fade into the narrative. His handling of the Sussex scandal was covered in a sensible way without pointing fingers. How would a royal couple spend half their time raking in $$$ by giving tell-all interviews to the likes of Oprah and others while spending the remaining half "serving" their country. It just doesn't compute!
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2026
As a, "Royal Watcher" since Princess Diana walked down the aisle with Prince Charles I really wanted to read this one.
This is written and narrated by Russell Myers who is the Royal Editor for the Daily Mail. If you are new to following the Royals and want lots of information on William and Catherine then you will thoroughly enjoy it. I did enjoy it as well but for me personally there wasn't anything really new in it.
William as we all know suffered in his early childhood and teens while Catherine came from a loving family. They fell in love (and I do believe they truly are) and have worked together to bring a new more modern face to the monarchy. They have suffered some set-backs and tragedies as a couple but have endured especially in the time of Catherine's illness. I felt too much time was spent on Harry and Meghan in this book. I wanted to hear more about Catherine and William's patronages and their plans for the future. I also hoped to learn a little more about their children and home life. It touched on all those things but just not as much as I wanted.
I think we will see some changes when this couple becomes King and Queen. I think they will stay true to themselves and lead with grace and dignity. They seem to be truly caring people who want to do good for their country.
Published March 10, 2026
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this Advance Listener's Copy.
This is written and narrated by Russell Myers who is the Royal Editor for the Daily Mail. If you are new to following the Royals and want lots of information on William and Catherine then you will thoroughly enjoy it. I did enjoy it as well but for me personally there wasn't anything really new in it.
William as we all know suffered in his early childhood and teens while Catherine came from a loving family. They fell in love (and I do believe they truly are) and have worked together to bring a new more modern face to the monarchy. They have suffered some set-backs and tragedies as a couple but have endured especially in the time of Catherine's illness. I felt too much time was spent on Harry and Meghan in this book. I wanted to hear more about Catherine and William's patronages and their plans for the future. I also hoped to learn a little more about their children and home life. It touched on all those things but just not as much as I wanted.
I think we will see some changes when this couple becomes King and Queen. I think they will stay true to themselves and lead with grace and dignity. They seem to be truly caring people who want to do good for their country.
Published March 10, 2026
I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this Advance Listener's Copy.
March 10, 2026
This book was going well until the chapter that included the spare and his wife. This book offered no rebuttal and seem to just include what the spare had written in his book as fact. Even comments like “Megan was clearly in love with Harry” I’m calling BS on that as the only person Meghan is in love with is herself and her mirror.
I could have happily not had anything in the book that involved those two. I tend to skim over them if they are spoken about.
It would have been nice to include more information about the work they do with their charities. As the book stated William is in it for the long haul he wants to make sure whatever he does has real impact and isn’t just playing lip service for press overage, unlike some people.
I found the book didn’t really have any new information. If you are a huge fan of William and Catherine like I am then pretty much everything in this book you will already know.
I could have happily not had anything in the book that involved those two. I tend to skim over them if they are spoken about.
It would have been nice to include more information about the work they do with their charities. As the book stated William is in it for the long haul he wants to make sure whatever he does has real impact and isn’t just playing lip service for press overage, unlike some people.
I found the book didn’t really have any new information. If you are a huge fan of William and Catherine like I am then pretty much everything in this book you will already know.
March 10, 2026
Thank you, Dreamscape Audio for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
There was nothing wrong with the audiobook for me. I love when authors narrate their own novels, I enjoy that you can really feel their passion behind it. I would definitely listen to more books narrated by him.
For someone who reads a ton of British Monarchy books, this one didn't have a lot of new information for me, but I will say I think this one was more put together. I enjoyed that Russell Myers organized this chronologically and it would give a new reader to the royal family a better grip on who Prince William and Princess Catherine are. However, for a book about them I did feel there was a bit too much information on Prince Harry and Meghan. Overall, a great informative book that will surely keep anyone entertained.
There was nothing wrong with the audiobook for me. I love when authors narrate their own novels, I enjoy that you can really feel their passion behind it. I would definitely listen to more books narrated by him.
For someone who reads a ton of British Monarchy books, this one didn't have a lot of new information for me, but I will say I think this one was more put together. I enjoyed that Russell Myers organized this chronologically and it would give a new reader to the royal family a better grip on who Prince William and Princess Catherine are. However, for a book about them I did feel there was a bit too much information on Prince Harry and Meghan. Overall, a great informative book that will surely keep anyone entertained.
March 7, 2026
I REALLY appreciated that this was written in chronological order of events. It made the timeline easy to follow and I feel like I was able to retain more. I felt that this was very well written and informative and would absolutely recommend to anyone interested in the royal family history. I did feel like there was way too much time spent discussing Harry and Meghan. I appreciated William & Catherine's side of the story on the riff between the siblings and the rest of the family but it really dominated the second half of the book. I would have loved to read more about their own family happenings. I did the audio version and would highly recommend - it was a great production.
Thank you so much netgalley for the advanced copy!
Thank you so much netgalley for the advanced copy!
March 7, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! I was a little let down by this because I was hoping it would be read by them but it felt more like a narration of their lives than a person behind the scenes. So much of the second half of the book was about Harry and Meghan which was a little off IMO. We already have Spare, which was great, so it didn’t seem needed to go into so much detail about the two of them.
Overall I did like hearing a little more of their background of growing up and falling in love and their lives up until this year. However, I wish it felt a little more personal and could have heard some stories from their perspectives on their experience as royals.
Overall I did like hearing a little more of their background of growing up and falling in love and their lives up until this year. However, I wish it felt a little more personal and could have heard some stories from their perspectives on their experience as royals.
March 19, 2026
I found this fascinating! I enjoyed getting to know William and Catherine at a more personal level, and understanding their motivations for their routines, their philanthropies, and their lives overall. I liked the behind-the-scene looks at their relationship with the Queen and other family members, including Harry and Meghan. Williams’ need to protect his family’s privacy after the media has shaped so much of his life is commendable but is a constant struggle that almost ruined their relationship. This is a perfect book for a glimpse into their lives without too much added supposition.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the review copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the review copy.
March 8, 2026
Easy to listen to and well read by the author. Didn’t reveal anything not already known so if you’re looking for a new view on Catherine & William this isn’t it. It did feel, in places, as though it’s an authorized response to Spare (haven’t read, don’t want to). 4* because I enjoyed it, considered giving less.
March 20, 2026
Audio - read by the author. Well done - I didn’t learn too much - which tells me I am spending a lot of time following this couple.🤪 I was pleasantly surprised that the author was positive about the future and the monarchy- on his podcast I don’t always find that to be true.
March 5, 2026
Provided more insight to the royal family and the future of the monarchy. Overall I enjoyed the book and the portrait it painted of William and Kate.
March 13, 2026
The book I read came from my local library. It had many editing errors. Turning the page you found you rereading paragraphs from the page before.
March 19, 2026
This was a very enjoyable look at the relationship between William and Catherine, following their journey from their early days together to the present. While the book doesn’t reveal anything particularly shocking or brand new, it offers a thoughtful and well-written overview of the couple’s personalities, partnership, and the way they have grown together over the years.
I especially appreciated how the author highlights their steady, supportive relationship and the sense of duty they both carry. At times, the sections about Harry and Meghan felt a bit intertwined with William and Catherine’s story more than necessary, but it also provided an interesting contrast between the two couples and their very different paths.
Overall, this was a great read for anyone interested in the modern royal family and the enduring partnership between the Prince and Princess of Wales.
I especially appreciated how the author highlights their steady, supportive relationship and the sense of duty they both carry. At times, the sections about Harry and Meghan felt a bit intertwined with William and Catherine’s story more than necessary, but it also provided an interesting contrast between the two couples and their very different paths.
Overall, this was a great read for anyone interested in the modern royal family and the enduring partnership between the Prince and Princess of Wales.
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