Confident Kate comes into her own as royal

As she turns 39 today, and the Cambridges prepare to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary this April, the Duchess of Cambridge has become a royal force to be reckoned with.

Far from the shy girl introduced to us 20 years ago, Kate has become a pivotal player in the House of Windsor. The mother-of-three has quietly gone about fulfilling her duties without her ever-increasing status going to her head.

Indeed, it is telling that despite some two decades on the royal scene, she has only recently reached the pinnacle of her potential powers by delivering a career-defining speech before Christmas.

Kate looked very self-assured as she outlined why she cares so deeply about childhood development. “Many mistakenly believe that my interest stems from having children of my own,” she said.

KATE WAS SO `TONGUE-TIED BY NERVES' SHE WOULD SHAKE BEFORE GOING ON STAGE IN EARLY DAYS.

“If we only expect people to take an interest in the early years when they have children, we are not only too late for them, we are underestimating the huge role others can play in shaping our most formative years, too.”

Once dubbed “Waity Katie” for spending almost a decade as William's girlfriend before he popped the question in 2010, it seems that her softly-softly approach has been her making.

As Katie Nicholl, author of Kate: The Future Queen, puts it: “The `Waity Katie' tag has actually stood her in good stead. Kate has always been a slow-burner. The palace allowing her to take her time over the causes she's chosen to champion means she's doing something she's absolutely passionate about.”

Her newfound confidence comes after a team of academics was drafted to help the Duchess shape her future.

Nicholl recalls how, in the early days, Kate was so “tongue-tied by nerves” she would shake before going on stage.

Kate has surprised many with her candidness, memorably during a podcast in February when she confessed to “mom guilt” and in 2019 with Mary Berry when she admitted leaving the lid off a blender when making a smoothie.

The Queen asked the couple to step up during the pandemic, and Kate did so with grace and humility.

They have also brought much-needed cheer: a lastminute tour before Christmas, calling the bingo numbers during a virtual visit to a care home, and with William poking fun at himself in a Blackadder sketch.