Kate Middleton, reminiscent of Princess Diana, struggles with her role in the royal family

Few would argue that Kate Middleton, now in her 11th year as Duchess of Cambridge, is fully on her own as royalty.

However, Kate, who had been dating Prince William for nearly a decade before their 2011 marriage, also found it difficult to adjust to the peculiarities of royal life, as did basically everyone.

"Today, the Duchess of Cambridge is well known for her good nature and dedication to her royal duties," the Mirror reports.

"However, it is no secret that shortly after her marriage to Prince William in 2011, Kate struggled to carve out her role and faced difficulties along the way. During the first few years, questions were raised about the small number of engagements she attended and whether she was working enough.

Now she is considered one of the most indispensable members of the royal family, the magazine reported. And in a recent episode of Pod Save the Queen, Princess Diana's biographer, Andrew Morton, praised Kate's careful and thoughtful approach, saying it reminded him of the late Princess of Wales, who died nearly a quarter century ago in 1997.

"Having watched the royal family for many years, I realized that it takes a long, long time to really understand what it means to be royal," Morton said.

"Catherine Middleton has spent 10 or 12 years dealing with the royal family. So did Sophie Rhys-Jones, Countess of Wessex. It takes a long time to integrate yourself into it."

Morton said that both Kate and her late mother-in-law were shy, "so giving speeches and being in public was something of an ordeal. But I think she overcame it." She reminds me of Princess Diana. She struggled for years to accept what it meant to be a princess."

Meghan Markle's more natural inclination toward royal life, Morton says, did not give her enough time to adjust to the ups and downs of life as an active royal.

"I think the great tragedy is that we didn't give Meghan and Harry enough time to see if they could pull it off," he says.

"Meghan and Harry were almost done with their cue before the wedding music was over. Meghan is a natural talent. ...... She had great potential to use her talent and position to make a real difference in the world. I don't see her living in Montecito making that kind of change."

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It is unclear whether Megan received the same kind of advice as Kate, but the Mirror reported that she received "a huge amount of guidance and support to help her feel as confident as possible in her new role." According to the documentary "Kate Middleton: Working Class to Windsor," she received private lessons focused on how to become a royal wife, and during those sessions, Her Majesty the Queen helped her decide on her official royal title.

"Kate Middleton received tremendous support from the royal family from the beginning, and it was really directed by the queen," journalist Ashley Pearson said in the documentary. "She learned how to get out of a carriage without exposing her modesty, how to bend down to get flowers from a young girl without exposing her modesty. How to sit, how to bow, who not to bow to, how to use a fork, and anything else she might need to know. She actually took lessons on how to be a royal wife."

And while the royal wife lessons may be long over, Kate still feels supported as she becomes even more committed to her royal role. During a recent visit to Wales, a woman told Kate that she would one day become a worthy Princess of Wales (a title that Princess Diana once held and that Kate will inherit during the reign of her father-in-law, Prince Charles).

"That's very kind of you," Kate replies. Gesturing toward her husband William."