Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Taking the Monarchy in a “Totally Different” Direction

Prince William and Kate Middleton are the “best thing” that’s happened to the monarchy in years, according to a longtime royal photographer.

Kent Gavin, who worked as a royal photographer for the Daily Mirror and has spent years photographing several generations of the royal family, is singing the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s praises. According to Gavin, Will and Kate are changing the way senior royals operate and share their lives with the public—and that’s a very good thing.

“Kate and William are totally different and operate in a totally different way. They’re great,” he said, according to Express. “It’s the best thing the Royal Family could have.”

Gavin believes Will and Kate’s approach is going to play a role in helping the monarchy adapt to—and thrive in—the modern age. Still, he doesn’t think their impact on the public compares to that of Will’s late mother, Princess Diana. To be fair though, Gavin doesn’t think anyone can compare to the People’s Princess.

“There will never be another Diana,” he said.

The photographer got to witness a lot of Diana’s impact firsthand. According to Express, he photographed her royal wedding to Prince Charles and then continued to cover her closely, traveling around the world to photograph her on royal tours and even snapping pictures at William’s christening at the request of Diana herself.

Gavin also briefly weighed in on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal exit, saying that Diana had “gone through similar things” during her time as a royal and would have supported her son.