WILLS AND KATE TAKE THE LEAD
THE ROYAL COUPLE RISE TO THE CHALLENGE FOLLOWING A DIFFICULT YEAR
With a global pandemic, Megxit, and the fallout from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell interview, there is no doubt that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have had their mettle tested during the past year. But through all the challenges the couple have faithfully stayed the course, proving that they will be more than ready to fulfil their roles as the king and queen of England when the time comes.
Visiting Westminster Abbey on March 23, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the first lockdown in the UK, the couple looked more regal than ever. It was a poignant occasion for Prince William, 38, and Kate Middleton, 39, who lit a candle and laid a bouquet of daffodils together before pausing for a nationwide minute’s silence to commemorate those who have lost their lives to COVID-19.
And it was a far different William who entered the chapel than the groom who married there on April 29, 2011. Almost a decade ago, the prince railed against his destiny, doing everything he could to delay his inevitable transition to becoming a full-time working royal.
But as he has slowly come to accept his circumstances, his wife Kate has lovingly stood beside him – and proven to be his greatest asset. “Marriage maketh the man,” a friend of William’s told The Sunday Times magazine. “Catherine’s groundedness has been the critical anchor. They’ve got a solid relationship and she gives him confidence,” the friend explained.
Indeed, Kate has been William’s greatest supporter as the world watched on while his relationship with his once-close brother disintegrated in a very public feud, which the prince has come to call a “soap opera”. “They lean on each other for support during difficult times and will talk through their problems. She’s been her husband’s pillar of strength throughout this whole ordeal,” a source told Us Weekly magazine.
And while the allegations made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex against the royal family, which include claims of racism, have hurt, they’ve also had a very real impact on the Cambridges. “His future looks different because of his brother’s choices. It’s not easy,” a source told The Times, referencing the extra duties the pair now have to carry out due to Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, relocating to the US.
But there were unexpected benefits for the Duke of Cambridge, too, who has grown much closer to his grandmother and sees their views as more “aligned than ever”. “[Megxit] has changed the way the Queen sees him and values his input,” the source explained.
And while Harry told Oprah Winfrey, 67, that he was “disappointed” in their father, Charles and William are closer now than they have been in years. The Prince of Wales, 72, had been footing the bill for both sons’ offices, which led to them feeling they were being pitted against each other. “There has always been this complicated relationship with their dad,” a palace source told WHO’s sister publication People magazine. “It’s not a straightforward father-son relationship. He is their father and their boss, and they are beholden to him to fund their offices and lives.”
But since their move, the Sussexes are required to fund their own work, which leaves William feeling like he no longer needs to compete. “As far as their relationship is concerned, they’ve crossed a bridge,” a source told Vanity Fair magazine of Charles and William.
And as William and Kate welcomed their three children, Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 5, and Prince Louis, 2, William felt a shift in his priorities. He also found the causes he wanted to dedicate his life to championing: tackling mental health and environmental conservation. The royal dad is determined to make sure he leave the planet “in a better state” for his kids.
“I feel we’re at a tipping point and I want to make sure that my grandchildren – my children and my grandchildren really,
“They lean on each other for support during difficult times” –SOURCE
because it’s going to happen relatively fast – that we hand the planet in a better state than we found it,” he said in an interview with BBC Radio 4.
Kate is also radiating confidence as she’s almost spent a decade in her role. And royal expert Camilla Tominey explains she rose to the challenge of Megxit by “raising her game”. “Yes, Prince William is a star but it’s been all about Kate lately,” Tominey told ITV. “This is her emerging from Prince William’s shadow to carve her own path as a future Princess of Wales,” she added.
And while it will be quite some time until William and Kate take the throne – as Prince Charles is ahead of his eldest son in the line of succession – between the pair, the future of the monarchy is in great hands. “[William] is a respected statesman in the making, and a vital and hardworking ambassador for the Queen and the royal family,” royal expert Katie Nicholl said. “Sources who know him say he is ready for the next chapter as he prepares to succeed his father as the next Prince of Wales.”
• By Kylie Walters