I often hear “Middleton” on these shores but what surprise me is that it was a British newspaper in this post that called her by her maiden name. After 4 years people should know who she is as D of C. Maybe it’s because it’s D of C rather than Princess Kate. D of C is perhaps a bit formal and faceless. Compare “D of C” to “Princess Diana”. I think that might explain it.
That’s a good point. Diana came from a titled family; her father was a Lord and 8th Earl Spencer. Kate was a Commoner. Possible class issue at play? Also, Kate & William have been at the forefront of “normalizing” the Royal Family, showing a more informal style. Perhaps that is a factor, too.