Kate Middleton’s “Austrailian” Mistake Would Be a Tabloid Scandal for Anyone Else

Kate Middleton wrote a handwritten note for Anzac Day. It was meant to honour fallen soldiers from Australia and New Zealand. It was supposed to be a heartfelt, solemn and royal note signed by Kate Middleton and Prince William. Then people looked at the note and noticed something. “Australian” appeared to be spelt “Austrailian.” With an extra “i” that does not belong there.

Now, here is where the media double standard comes in so thick you could use it as a brick. People magazine called it an “emotional handwritten message.” They focused on the duty, the sentiment, the royal monogram, and the Diana earrings. Not a single raised eyebrow about the spelling. Just warm, protective, future-queen coverage. If Meghan Sussex, had written that same note with that same error, what do you think would have happened?

The picture is not flattering

According to People, the wreath note read: “In memory of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.” It was signed “Catherine” beside William’s signature, on monogrammed stationery with a crown. All very proper. Kate even wore Diana’s sapphire earrings, giving the press exactly what it needed for another round of “Kate channels Diana” coverage.

But while the press ate that up, the internet zoomed in on the photo. And there it was: “Austrailian.”

Now, if Meghan had laid that wreath, the Daily Mail would have run a six-page spread with the headline: “Meghan’s Humiliating Anzac Blunder: Duchess Can’t Even Spell Australia While Pretending to Honour Our Heroes.” The Telegraph would have commissioned a think piece about her American education and whether she ever really respected Commonwealth traditions. Piers Morgan would have devoted seven minutes of airtime to asking if this proved she was “fake” and “disrespectful.” And every single royal commentator would have framed it as evidence that Meghan was rushed, careless, too busy chasing Netflix deals to get basic spelling right.

But Kate does it? Emotional. Heartfelt. A princess who cares so much that she wrote it herself instead of letting an aide type it. Do you see the problem yet? Or do you need me to spell it out correctly?

Princess Kate marked Anzac Day in London with a very personal gesture, leaving a handwritten note on her wreath honouring fallen Australian and New Zealand soldiers 🌺
The message was signed “Catherine,” with husband William’s signature coming second – a rare break with… pic.twitter.com/7I5xHwFXb1

— HELLO! Canada (@HelloCanada) April 26, 2026

This was not her first public spelling slip

In 2020, Kate wrote a message at Euston Station thanking transport workers for “keeping the coutry moving.” Country. With a “u” instead of an “n.” C-O-U-T-R-Y. That one also got a polite media pass. Oh, they mentioned it quietly. But nobody lost their mind. Nobody accused Kate of being uneducated, disrespectful or too ambitious to care about spelling.

Now, I am not saying Kate is dumb. I am not saying one misspelt word on a handwritten note makes her a bad person. People make mistakes. Handwriting can be hard for some. Nerves happen. The woman has been a royal for fifteen years and probably writes things while juggling three children and a tiara. Fine. But the grace she receives is not extended to Meghan Sussex. That is the story I will never stop noticing.

The real story is who gets protected

Kate gets an “emotional handwritten message.” Meghan would get “humiliating blunder.” Kate gets her Diana earrings mentioned in the same breath as her spelling error. Meghan would get a week of “palace sources say” pieces about how she never fit in.

The same media that protects Kate from ridicule would have destroyed Meghan for the exact same thing. And that is not a conspiracy theory. That is a documented, decade-long pattern.

Not that Meghan Sussex would likely make that kind of mistake. She worked as a professional calligrapher, taught calligraphy at Paper Source and built part of her pre-royal creative life around handwriting. But the principle still stands: the bar for Kate Middleton sits on the floor if the press cannot even ask why a future queen consort appeared to misspell “Australian” on a public remembrance note.

Final thoughts

Kate Middleton is human. She misspelt a word. It happens. I have done it. You have done it. The ghost of the Queen probably did it once in a Christmas speech and had a footman quietly fix it.

But the royal press cannot ask the public to treat Kate with softness, emotional framing, and “heartfelt” language while denying that same grace to Meghan Sussex. This dehumanizing favouritism needs to stop.

If Meghan had written “Austrailian,” the press would have never let it go. They would have printed it on mugs. They would have made it a segment on Good Morning Britain. Just like if Meghan were ungroomed in public, the same press would have zoomed in on her unkempt feet, cracked skin, fungal toes, the works, and called it evidence of her lack of respect for the British and Australian people. And they would have used every bit of it to question her character, her sincerity, and her right to wear a title.

But Kate gets a pass. The note will not produce 67 articles by the Daily Mail. And the next time Meghan breathes wrong, the same outlets will return to form. The spelling mistake is not the story. The double standard is. And that is far more embarrassing than an extra “i.”