Tom Cruise's praise of Kate Middleton highlights her 'untouched by scandal' reputation: expert

Tom Cruise's recent effusive praise for Kate Middleton was not just Hollywood flattery, according to royal 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. 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.

"It was just so fun sitting there watching them watch it and for them to be part of it," Cruise said, via People 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. They’re just beautiful people and fun, very funny."

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"She’s got a great sense, incredible sense of humor," Cruise said of Middleton. "I mean, obviously very intelligent and fun."

"They’re so charismatic and so elegant," he gushed. "That dress that she was wearing? Stunning."

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"William did well," Cruise added with a smile. "Way to go, smart choice. Yeah, I gotta give it to William. Way to go. Smart choice."

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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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. "Kate Middleton is universally adored, and unlike most celebrities, is virtually untouched by 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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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.

"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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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. "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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"She wasn’t born into nobility, but that worked in her favor to help the Palace connect with the modern public," Matta continued. "Kate’s grounded humor and elegance are both central to William's public image now, and the public’s warmth toward her is one of the monarchy’s most valuable assets."

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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"He’s just saying what most people think," Fitzwilliams said. "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. This is of enormous help to Britain, as soft power is so significant and also to the charities they both do so much for."

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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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. 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."

"Diana joked that she wouldn't mind if Kidman were out of the way. ‘Nicole kept giving me dagger eyes,’ Diana told a friend, ‘as if to say keep your hands off my handsome husband!’" Andersen remembered.

After their first meeting, Cruise and Diana went on to develop a 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.

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.

"She was a magical person and really engulfed you with her personality," Cruise told Sean.

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Cruise and Kidman were among the celebrity guests who paid tribute to the late princess at her funeral on Sept. 6, 1997.

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. 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. The Prince and Princess of Wales later attended the London premiere of "Top Gun: Maverick" at the invitation of 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. We both love flying."

The actor later appeared in King Charles III's 2023 coronation concert and previously took part in Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

"Cruise perhaps more than most Hollywood stars has had a fairly up close and personal relationship with the royal family," Andersen noted.

Having witnessed both Diana's extraordinary popularity and Middleton's rise within the royal family, Andersen explained he believes Cruise's admiration is well-founded.

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"Obviously Kate is meeting, if not transcending, the public's inevitable expectations based on her Diana- like approachability," he said.

Royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that Cruise's comments captured the qualities that have made Middleton one of the world's most admired royals.

"His remark managed to sum up what is so immensely universally appealing about her, that she is dignified, discreet, elegant, intelligent and poised all whilst being wonderfully warm as well as interested in others, so authentically," she said.

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"It was also no doubt reference to her affability, regarding her sense of humor and that she’s so accessible versus the outdated image of a formal royal court," Fordwich added. "He also managed to keep the focus on her service versus any sort of celebrity status."

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Fordwich said that Cruise's ties to Diana made his compliments about Middleton and William "even more powerful."

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"He's associating the Waleses with Diana’s extraordinary public magnetism, the most beneficial aspect of her legacy, her accessibility and emotional connection with all of whom she met." Fordwich said.