Greetings readers of For Those About To Shop! I’m Courtney from Those Graces, where I write about fashion, beauty and feminism. I’m here to guest post while Laura is away on vacation.
Worldwide eyes have been focused on Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, for the past two years, and let’s not even get started on how long the British press has been chasing her! Since her wedding much has been made over everything from what she’s wearing to when she’ll have babies to where she shops for her groceries. In the midst of all these topics, the issue of feminism emerged. Critics questioned, “Is Kate a feminist?” and others wondered if she was just another boring, silent figurehead. Whatever conclusion you personally arrive at, I’m here to ask: Does it matter if Middleton is a feminist?
Feminism has been interwoven into stories about Middleton from her wedding day to what she wears. The question of feminism seems almost inevitable–what with a college educated woman, marrying a prince and leaving her old life behind for the promise of a fairytale. In other words, the topic was bound to come up one way or another.
To me, a self-proclaimed feminist, it doesn’t matter if Middleton is or isn’t a feminist. Media outlets are so quick to ask this because for many it is hard to believe that someone would choose the seemingly strict life of royalty. Even more so that a young woman would drop her whole life to go off to a system that quashes modern feminism and independent women.
At the end of the day, the question shouldn’t be, “Is Kate a feminist?” Rather we should ask if she’s a good role model, not only for young women but for all people. Is she an admirable person? Does she carry herself with poise? Does she seem to have a life and identity outside of her royal life? For me, the answers to all of these questions is: Yes.
