Bethenny Frankel has praised the Princess of Wales as someone who is "comfortable in her own skin," on a new episode of her podcast "Just B With Bethenny Frankel", as increased speculation about Kate's health and whereabouts has developed in recent weeks.
Former Real Housewives of New York City star Frankel included Kate in a list of women she admires who aren't "thirsty" for attention or validation, inspired by her love of Beyoncé's new hit record "Texas Hold 'Em". Newsweek approached Kensington Palace and representatives of Bethenny Frankel via email for comment.
"I love Beyoncé. She's so elegant, so fierce, so classy, so talented," Frankel said. "Like some people just do it right and she's not thirsty. There's just a difference between someone who you know is desperate and thirsty and someone who's not."
After including Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys alongside Beyoncé in that cohort, Frankel referenced Kate as someone who could also hold her own.
"Princess Kate is not thirsty; she's comfortable in her own skin," Frankel said. "I mean, sometimes she can be a little shy, a little introverted, and so maybe she wasn't always comfortable in her own skin, but I feel like she's just like really gotten there."
Frankel's comments come as the princess is taking a period of time out of the public eye to recover from abdominal surgery she underwent in January.
At the time, Kensington Palace said that the procedure had been successful but that Kate would be out of action until at least after Easter. Since then, there have been limited official updates on the princess' health, sparking speculation, gossip and conspiracy theories.
The absence of any appearance, official photograph or personal statement from Kate has only strengthened this attention. The U.S. tabloid site TMZ published an unauthorized paparazzi photograph taken while she was being driven in Windsor, in Berkshire, England, by her mother on Monday. The photograph, as yet, has not been reproduced in Britain over privacy concerns.
Despite the increase in speculation, Kensington Palace has said that the princess continues to be doing well and that they will not be providing a running commentary on her recovery. It is therefore expected that the "after Easter" estimate for her return to royal duties is still in place.
Thursday's podcast episode is not the first time that Bethenny Frankel has voiced praise for Kate.
In September 2022, the reality star described the princess as having gone through the ultimate "glow up" since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry split from the royal family two years earlier—as demonstrated in her wardrobe for the funeral and mourning events after Queen Elizabeth II's death.
"Kate had a motherf****** swan-like glow up, OK? She was like, 'Listen b******, I'm gonna be queen, and now I got this f****** nuisance out of my way, and the wardrobe has changed,'" she said on her Just B With Bethenny Frankel podcast. "It's not just that the dress has changed, it's the whole look—it's the messaging, it's the jewels, it's the crown jewels.
"She's doing everything she can do to still look subtle and elegant but with a massive side of f*** you," Frankel added.
"Meghan, on the other hand, is coming in like a black widow spider saying, 'Listen, if I'm gonna be polarizing and half the people are gonna love me and half the people are gonna hate me, I might as well f****** slay all day,'" Frankel said. "She is coming in with fierce outfits, and we cannot pretend that the funeral was not a fashion show."
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.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
