SARAH VINE: Meghan, eat your heart out... Kate's pulled off a masterstroke. The late Queen would have approved

Published: 00:59, 1 July 2026 | Updated: 00:59, 1 July 2026 This weekend, while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were arguing the toss with Palace officials over the terms and conditions of their forthcoming visit to Britain (will they or won’t they bring the kids, which palace will be at their disposal, how much security will be laid on and so on), the Princess of Wales – an actual working royal – was quietly, without fanfare or a large film crew, climbing three mountains. Actual mountains. Arguably she has already climbed several metaphorical peaks over the past two years following her cancer diagnosis, not to mention dealing with a load of nonsense from her sister-in-law, but these were real ones: Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa, the three highest in Scotland, England and Wales. It was part of the Three Peaks Challenge, in which participants have to scale the trio within a 24-hour window. This involves walking more than 23 miles and hiking up over 10,000ft, plus, of course, driving 462 miles between the destinations. Along the way she bumped into a wheelchair-bound 11-year-old named Ted Haslam – paralysed at the age of just three by an aggressive spinal tumour – whose father was carrying him up Ben Nevis. Otherwise, she was pretty much on her own, save for other climbers and a couple of cameramen. No Press briefing, no paparazzi, no crowds of well-wishers urging her on. Just a quiet, determined, low-key act of personal pilgrimage. It was all in aid of the Royal Marsden, where the Princess herself was treated for cancer, and in particular to fund holistic ‘whole person’ care, which doesn’t just focus on clinical treatment but also on helping the patient navigate the emotional and physical challenges involved. The whole enterprise was what you might call ‘peak Kate’: a masterclass in how to do something worthwhile without turning it into a tawdry media circus or making it all about herself. Arguably the Princess of Wales has already climbed several metaphorical peaks over the past few years following her cancer diagnosis – but the ones she braved this weekend were real In 24 hours she scaled Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa, the three highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales, for the Three Peaks Challenge – no press briefing, no paparazzi Compare the Princess of Wales' authentic, low-key approach with that of the Sussexes, who seem to operate at the opposite end of the spectrum, Sarah Vine observes  Even her subsequent statement on the Wales family’s official Instagram account was carefully calibrated to draw attention away from the Princess, and on to the work of the hospital and charity. Only once in the statement did the Princess obliquely refer to her own health: ‘I know this personally, and that the journey through and beyond treatment requires more than medicine alone.’ This is exactly the kind of thing we expect from members of the Royal Family, but which in recent years has sadly been in short supply. Here is someone using her platform to genuinely help others, working hard to earn the respect of the British people, and honouring with her actions the titles and privilege her royal status affords her. Here is someone, as the young people say, who understands the assignment. That is why words like ‘grateful’ and ‘give something back’ ring true with the Princess of Wales, but they don’t with others. For example, compare this authentic, low-key approach with that of the Duchess of Sussex, who operates at exactly the opposite end of the spectrum. She spent this weekend teasing a new product on her As Ever website (lavender honey, since you ask), alongside the usual carefully curated shots of her posing pensively in her kitchen, caressing her own neck with a fond, faraway look in her eye. Honestly, if she were an ice lolly she’d lick herself. Everything she says or does, whether it be accompanying Prince Harry on some pseudo-royal tour or visiting a woman’s shelter, is not about the people she professes to care for, but really about her. Try as she might, she just can’t hide it. Remember that seven-minute-long charity speech she gave in which she mentioned herself no fewer than 54 times? Or the ‘fairy dust’ comment on a podcast (‘If I can come in with a little sprinkle of fairy dust just by wearing a bracelet... that’s a huge honour to be able to have that kind of impact’)? We live in an attention-seeking age, our columnist writes. Remember that speech Meghan gave at a charity in which she mentioned herself 54 times? Catherine's approach is different... Even when she is trying to be magnanimous, her narcissism shines through. In a way, it says a lot about society today that the Princess of Wales’s low-key challenge catches us all by surprise. We live in a world where increasingly a person’s value is not judged by who they are or what they do, but by how well they can project themselves on social media and how much attention they can garner from total strangers. It leaves us feeling strangely disconnected, detached. It’s like being at a party surrounded by people, none of whom you know. Plenty of contact, no actual connection. The Princess of Wales’s approach is different. She doesn’t chase popularity, or cast herself as a victim to make people like her (even though, having been so very ill, she could). She just knows instinctively how to do the right thing – as the incident with the little boy on Ben Nevis shows – and then everything else follows. That’s the kind of personality you just can’t fake, that no amount of artfully staged camera angles can reproduce. In a funny way it reminds me of the approach the late Queen Elizabeth took, quietly ploughing her furrow based on a set of universal moral principles. People didn’t love her because she wore the crown; they loved her because she had the right values and understood what being royal really meant. Perhaps in the Princess of Wales she has finally found a worthy successor. Everyone loves a sporting spectacle but since when did Wimbledon cease to be a tennis tournament and become a style showcase for celebrities, social media influencers – and the players themselves?  Sarah Vine says she misses the days when the main focus of sporting events was athleticism instead of the fashion Naomi Osaka’s pre-match outfits (pictured) are impressive, not to mention inventive. But I miss the days when Centre Court was less a catwalk and more about the tennis. It’s getting almost as bad as Ascot.  Seamus Redmond, a Newquay developer who fenced off part of a historic coastal walk linking two popular beaches, told one local who dared to object that if he wanted to keep using the path he could ‘buy one of the properties and have exclusive rights of way included in the purchase price’. What a spiteful prat. I hope he gets a nasty case of coastal erosion.  A particularly tedious aspect of the current Government is the constant humblebragging about ‘growing up poor’, as if this somehow makes one a better person. Sure, some people have a tough start in life, but it’s never an excuse for incompetence or, in the case of Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, depriving other children of the best education their parents can get them.  More importantly, the idea that poor equals good while rich equals bad is infantile. Not everything in life comes down to money.  Q: What do Andy Burnham and Donald Trump have in common?  A: They both ban journalists from non-partisan outlets from attending their Press conferences. It’s a slippery slope...  So sad to hear of the death of Penelope Keith. In many ways she exemplified that golden age of British television, when audiences had their toes lightly tickled every teatime by lost leg ends such as Patricia Routledge and June Whitfield.  The beloved late Penelope Keith (pictured as her character Margo Leadbetter on sitcom The Good Life) exemplified the golden age of British TV Nowadays the producers’ idea of light entertainment is getting surgically enhanced bimbos and hunks with shaved chests to lap dance for each other on Love Island. ‘Progress’, apparently.  A legal loophole means that the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, Shabir Ahmed, who is due to be released from jail this week, cannot be deported back to his native Pakistan. He will be free to walk the same streets where he raped and tortured vulnerable girls as young as 12, many of whom still live there. How is it possible that the victims of this repulsive individual’s crimes can be hung out to dry like this? Either close the loophole – or send him back to jail to rot where he belongs.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. 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