Fox News
· collected 2026-09-30 · by Ashley Hume, Stephanie Nolasco, Ashley Papa
Tom Cruise's recent effusive praise for Kate Middleton was not just Hollywood flattery, according to royal experts.
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praise → accord → experts
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 44, joined Cruise at the world premiere of the 64-year-old actor's new movie "Digger" in London on Sept. 22.
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Prince → join → Sept.
During an interview with "Extra" at the film's Los Angeles premiere on Monday, Cruise raved over the royal couple and shared a particularly glowing assessment of Middleton.
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Cruise → rave → Middleton
"It was just so fun sitting there watching them watch it and for them to be part of it," Cruise said, via People magazine.
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Cruise → sit → magazine
"I have so much respect for them, you know, they’re amazing people and how dedicated they are to their country and also…what they give to the world.
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they → have → world
They’re just beautiful people and fun, very funny.
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They → ’re → ?
"She’s got a great sense, incredible sense of humor," Cruise said of Middleton.
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Cruise → get → Middleton
"I mean, obviously very intelligent and fun."
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I → mean → ?
"They’re so charismatic and so elegant," he gushed.
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he → ’re → ?
"That dress that she was wearing? Stunning."
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she → wear → that
"William did well," Cruise added with a smile.
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Cruise → do → smile
Yeah, I gotta give it to William.
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I → got → William
Cruise's comments quickly made headlines, with royal experts arguing they reflected Middleton's unique standing within the monarchy rather than simply offering another celebrity compliment.
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they → make → compliment
While speaking to Fox News Digital, royal expert Christopher Andersen said that the Hollywood icon's admiration underscores why Middleton has become one of the royal family's greatest assets, pointing to her enduring appeal and scandal-free reputation.
"Do not underestimate the importance of her immense popularity," he said.
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he → speak → popularity
"Kate Middleton is universally adored, and unlike most celebrities, is virtually untouched by scandal.
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Middleton → adore → scandal
Like everybody else on the planet, Tom Cruise certainly wouldn't mind having some of that fairy dust rub off on him."
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some → mind → him
Andersen, who authored the 2026 biography "Kate!: The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen," noted that Cruise was also likely drawn to Middleton's beauty and style.
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Cruise → author → beauty
"If she wasn't movie-star gorgeous and stunningly fashionable, I don't think Tom Cruise would be drooling all over her," he said.
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he → think → her
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you → compensate → links
Royal commentator Amanda Matta echoed Andersen's opinion, arguing that Cruise's praise speaks to Kate's central role within the monarchy.
"While this was definitely an easy soundbite for Cruise to pull out, it also happens to be true," she told Fox News Digital.
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she → echo → Digital
"I think what Cruise is picking up on with this remark is that Kate is the entire reason the Wales brand works."
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brand → think → remark
"She wasn’t born into nobility, but that worked in her favor to help the Palace connect with the modern public," Matta continued.
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Matta → bear → public
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital that Cruise's remarks simply reflect the majority of the public's perception of Middleton.
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remarks → tell → Middleton
"He’s just saying what most people think," Fitzwilliams said.
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Fitzwilliams → say → what
"She is exquisite, her intelligence, humor and dress sense are part of her personality, which has given them both a worldwide aura as a couple.
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which → give → couple
This is of enormous help to Britain, as soft power is so significant and also to the charities they both do so much for."
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they → do → charities
Royal experts also told Fox News Digital that Cruise's remarks about Middleton carried extra weight given the action star's decades-long relationship with the British royal family.
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remarks → tell → family
The actor met the late Princess Diana at the 1992 London premiere of "Far and Away" alongside his co-star and then-wife Nicole Kidman.
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actor → meet → co
Andersen recalled that he had previously written about their first encounter and the "schoolgirl crush Diana had on Cruise" in his 1998 best-selling book "The Day Diana Died."
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Diana → recall → book
"Diana joked that she wouldn't mind if Kidman were out of the way.
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Kidman → joke → way
‘Nicole kept giving me dagger eyes,’ Diana told a friend, ‘as if to say keep your hands off my handsome husband!’" Andersen remembered.
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Andersen → keep → husband
After their first meeting, Cruise and Diana went on to develop a friendship.
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Cruise → go → friendship
In 1995, Cruise invited the princess and her sons, William and Prince Harry, to visit the set of the original "Mission: Impossible" movie at Pinewood Studios outside London.
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Cruise → invite → London
In 2022, royal expert Neil Sean wrote that Cruise was "devastated" when Diana died in a car accident at the age of 36 in August 1997.
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Diana → write → August
"She was a magical person and really engulfed you with her personality," Cruise told Sean.
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Cruise → engulf → Sean
Cruise and Kidman were among the celebrity guests who paid tribute to the late princess at her funeral on Sept. 6, 1997.
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who → pay → Sept.
William would later forge his own friendship with Cruise, who held a special screening of his 2022 sequel "Top Gun: Maverick" for the prince and Middleton ahead of the movie's release.
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who → forge → release
Cruise invited the royal couple after learning that William, who previously served as a pilot with the Royal Air Force, was a huge fan of the original film.
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who → invite → film
The Prince and Princess of Wales later attended the London premiere of "Top Gun: Maverick" at the invitation of Cruise.
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Prince → attend → Cruise
At the time, Cruise told PA News Agency that he and William had "a lot in common," explaining, "We both love England, and we're both aviators.
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we → tell → England
…and 11 more, not listed.
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