Kate and Wills’ healing holiday Royal truce after their toughest year yet
A getaway is royally needed!
For the Duchess of Cambridge, the days after Christmas are the happiest time of the year. Following the formal royal celebrations at Sandringham, she, Prince William and the kids will retire to her parents’ home in Bucklebury, where they can truly kick off their shoes, relax and act like any other normal family.
In the comfort of the downto-earth Middleton clan, it’s a special period for Kate and her husband, both 36, to step back from the spotlight and spend quality time with their beloved children as they mark their first year as a family of five.
And after they’ve cosied up in front of the fireplace in Berkshire, there’s even more warmth in store in January, with the family expected to head to their favourite holiday destination, the exclusive Caribbean island of Mustique, for some fun in the sun.
It’s a well-deserved break for Kate after a difficult few months, which have seen her bitter feud with her pregnant sister-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex, escalate to the point where Prince Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, have now quit Kensington Palace to move to Windsor’s Frogmore Cottage.
Yet while it was the mother-of-three who was allegedly brought to tears by the bride’s diva demands at a dress fitting ahead of the royal wedding, Woman’s Day can reveal that Kate is determined to extend an olive branch, calling a truce with Meghan so the Windsors can attempt to put the drama behind them in the New Year.
“It’s no secret they’ve had their difficulties and it’s been a source of great stress for them both over the past couple of months,” claims a source close to the mother of Prince George, five, Princess Charlotte, three, and Prince Louis, seven months. “But Kate is a kind person who, deep down, likes Meghan and wants to get along with her.
“Things are far from perfect, but she and Meghan have a lot in common, and got along famously when they first met. It’s been a tough transition for Meghan, but it would be a shame if they
didn’t try to work this out for everyone’s sake.”
Indeed, earlier this month, Kate declared publicly that she was “absolutely excited” for Harry and Meghan to be expecting a child in April, adding, “It’s such a special time to have little kiddies. And a cousin for George, Charlotte and Louis will be really special.”
Calm & balmy
Royal biographer Christopher Wilson explains, “Kate knows her job is to be dutiful, uncontroversial and to get on with things. She learned early on that the best thing to do if you’re marrying into the House of Windsor is to keep your head down. If she and Meghan are made to spend time with each other, Kate will be the one to carry it off brilliantly.” Speaking exclusively to
Woman’s Day, a friend of Kate’s adds, “She and Wills got caught up in all the drama surrounding Meghan and, frankly, things have got quite stressful. Kate, in particular, has a tendency to let things get on top of her, while Wills has blown a gasket on more than one occasion.
“That’s why they’re looking forward to having some quality time to themselves in the Caribbean. Kate can’t wait. She says she’s going to have facials, massages and get plenty of ‘me time’, as well as having fun with the children, of course.”
A royal insider continues, “She’s really looking forward to the upcoming break so she can put the recent pressures behind her and just spend some quality time with the family after a turbulent couple of months. Kate says it’s going to be a chance to really reconnect after a hectic year, with the new arrival really shaking things up.
“William’s been an incredible support to her during what she’s described as her most testing time as a royal – always lifting her spirits and being her rock when she needed him the most, which has most definitely brought them even closer.”
Kate has told her friend she expects things will calm down after the holiday period, and especially once Harry and Meghan’s baby is born.
Her pal reports, “Kate says that the New Year is time for new beginnings. She’s always been incredibly fond of Harry and her biggest wish for 2019 is for them all to be the best of friends.”
Meanwhile, after her break, the duchess will step back into the spotlight with a focus on proving her credentials as a future queen. After enlisting a team of academics and advisors to study some of Britain’s most serious social problems, Kate is intent on becoming a charity powerhouse in 2019.
“There are those who are satisfied to turn up to get headlines and raise money, and there are those who want to get stuck in and make a difference – that is very much Catherine,” reports a family friend. “There might be bumpy times ahead for her, but she’s giving this everything she’s got and is determined to make it work. Catherine would be the last person in the world to use the phrase ‘Queen of Hearts’, but if the crown fits …”