The wedding dresses of the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Catherine and the wedding dress chosen by Princess Diana, couldn't have been more different. Kate wore classic lines, similar to those worn by Princess Kelly, the commoner who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco, in 1956, while Diana chose a meringue look.

The Kelly family had to provide Prince Rainier with US$2,000,000, as a dowry, yet if Prince Rainier had not come up with an heir, the tiny kingdom of Monaco would have reverted to French rule.

In July 29th 1981 a very shy, but from the aristocracy, Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, first in line to the English throne. Despite her personal heartache, which ended in a heartrending and very public divorce in August 1996, Diana quickly rose in popularity to become the ‘People's Princess'.

Catherine Middleton may have a tall order in following the footsteps of the ‘People's Princess'. However, the Duchess of Wessex may prove to be a helpful friend and confidant. Prince Edward, Charles younger brother, married Sophie Ryhs Jones in June 1999. Princess Sophie seems to be one commoner who has successfully adapted to being part of the royal family, which is no easy task.

Princess Catherine bears the same name as five other tragic Queen Catherines, who found the being married to royalty was no easy route.

• Wife of Henry V, Catherine of Valois, reigned alongside her husband for two years only, before his death in 1422. Their 9 month old son Henry VI was crowned king. Queen Catherine died in 1437 and was buried at Westminster Abbey.
• Married to Henry VIII in 1509, Catherine of Aargon's marriage lasted 24 years but was shrouded in stillbirths and the premature deaths of their sons. Henry was so desperate to have the marriage annulled that, when the Pope refused to give his consent, the king spurned Rome and formed the Church of England.
• Henry VIII's beheaded his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, in 1954, after only two years of marriage, on the grounds of treason, after accusing her of adultery.
• In 1543 Catherine Parr was married to Henry VIII. She reigned as queen until his death in 1547. Sadly she never produced the much desired son and heir and seldom saw her husband as he was always away at war.

The Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza, married Charles II in 1662, but was looked upon as a Catholic foreigner and was unpopular with the public. The couple had no surviving children and she was given the cold shoulder by her adulterous husband, who fathered several illegitimate children by mistresses including the beguiling Nell Gwyn.

The hope is that when Prince William is crowned King of England, the new Queen Catherine will have a much happier and more successful task than her predecessors.

About the Author:
Dr Wendy Stenberg-Tendys and her husband are CEO's and founders of YouMe Support Foundation, providing high school education grants for children who are without hope. You can help in this really great project by taking a few minutes to check out the Sponsor a Student program at (http://youmesupport.org). It will change the life of some really needy kids in the South Pacific.