NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE PRINCESS OF WALES
Next week it will be Kate’s 42nd birthday, and over the past couple of years she has proven time and time again that she is the steady rock at the heart of the British monarchy.
Often characterised as ‘kind-hearted’, ‘a little shy’ or even ‘enigmatic’, she is made of tough stuff.
A royal source revealed, ‘She is very empathetic and kind, but a rod of steel runs through her. I think it has to if you are prepared to take on a job like that. Old palace courtiers compare her to the Queen Mother, who was called the Steel Marshmallow because she looked sweet but was incredibly tough.’
Last month, Kate displayed that calmness and composure as she hosted a number of royal engagements, including Buckingham Palace’s annual Diplomatic Reception and her annual carol concert.
The princess was the very epitome of grace under fire, after she and King Charles were named as the royals alleged to have made remarks about Prince Archie’s skin colour in a letter that Meghan had written to her father-in-law in 2021.
Of course, we have never had Kate’s side of the story, and I highly doubt we ever will. She has remained as inscrutable as ever, knowing that she cannot defend herself, as that would just serve to fan the flames of the family’s fall-out.
But Meghan’s allegation (and the way in which it came to be made public) perhaps means that neither Kate nor William will ever forgive her.
Reporting on Meghan’s arrival into the Royal Family, from when she began dating Prince Harry in 2016 to their wedding in 2018 and departure in 2020, it was obvious to me that although the two women had little in common, Kate had done her best to be friendly.
And when the Sussexes, in effect, turned on the Royal Family in their interview with Oprah Winfrey, it was Kate who stayed calm and encouraged William, who has a temper, to keep his cool. She played a key role in the way the family responded to the couple’s dramatic and damaging revelations, pressing aides to include the now-infamous phrase ‘recollections may vary’.
The princess was determined that the family protect its reputation by sending a clear signal that it challenged Harry and Meghan’s accusations.
After Queen Elizabeth died, Kate took part in a Windsor walkabout with Harry and Meghan, which she was later described as saying was ‘one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do’, due to the ill-feeling between the couples.
A courtier said of Kate, ‘She does not get as much credit as she should, because she is so subtle about it.’
For Kate will be Queen – and if that means playing the long game, so be it.