Ask any palace courtier and they’ll tell you the Duchess of Cambridge is the royal equivalent of Superwoman, juggling three young children as she amps up her work calendar, while never putting a foot wrong in public.
And it seems that the Queen agrees.
Palace sources reveal the Monarch is taking Prince William’s wife into her confidence more than ever before.
It’s a desperate bid to save the embattled Windsors from the unprecedented public backlash they’ve faced since the Duchess of Sussex began, according to those in the know, “recklessly toying with the Royal Family’s reputation”.
Stepping up
Woman’s Day understands that the Queen has fast-tracked Duchess Catherine’s rise up the family hierarchy, as an acknowledgement and reward for the 37-year-old’s diligence that has shone through since the once-stellar publicity surrounding Kensington Palace’s “fab four” of Kate, William and Prince Harry with his new wife Meghan began to sour.
“Kate saw things were spiralling out of control months ago,” says a royal aide.
“As soon as news leaked that Harry and William had fallen out over Meghan’s diva demands, Kate immediately put her hand up to take on more royal engagements than ever before.
“This is despite the fact that these glamorous events, which require many hours of hair styling and makeup, mean much more time away from her young children.”
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The aide continues: “She firmly supports William’s view that Harry rushed into marrying a Hollywood actress with so many skeletons in her closet.”
Kate’s selfless act of stepping up to represent the royals in a positive light did not go unnoticed by her grandmother-in-law.
“The Queen is furious that she has to spend her twilight years mopping up horrendous headlines about how Meghan plays the US press all while her family keep crawling out of the woodwork,” says our source.
“The fact that Kate has stepped up without even being asked has been hugely appreciated. She has never put a foot wrong, which has become even more evident when you look at the chaos caused by ‘Hurricane Meghan’ in less than a year since she joined the family.”
“The Queen has confided all her concerns in Kate, who has assured her not to worry about a thing.”
Her Majesty has appreciated Kate’s selfless approach. (Image: Getty)
Since her engagement to Harry, the former Suits actress has weathered scandal after scandal, including her father Thomas Sr’s last-minute no-show at her wedding, her half-brother Thomas Jr being accused of holding a gun to his fiancee Darlene Blount’s head during a drunken New Year’s altercation and her nephew Tyler Dooley creating a marijuana strain called Markle Sparkle.
The 37-year-old is also widely believed to have been leaking stories to US magazine People through “friends” – going firmly against the Queen’s long-standing rule to never address gossip in the media.
To further stoke the fire, just last week, as it was announced that Harry, 34, and William, 36, were dividing their once-shared public relations staff, the seven-month-pregnant diva duchess struck again – hosting an incredibly elaborate and public baby shower at a posh New York hotel for 15 of her socially elite friends, in front of hundreds of flashing cameras.
Splashing out: No expense was spared on Meghan’s lavish baby shower. (Images: Getty and Instagram)
Family first
“Can you imagine Kate pulling such a stunt? Of course not,” says our palace aide.
“She’s always put the family first and acutely aware of how such ostentatious displays of wealth can alienate people, whereas Meghan seems hellbent on putting her own fame at the top of the list.”
“What’s worse is that she’s caused a massive security nightmare. It’s basically impossible to protect a royal, let alone one carrying a royal baby, among the insane crowds of New York. She couldn’t have picked a more public or dangerous place to show off.”
Meghan’s headline-making antics are taking its toll on the royal family. (Images L-R: Getty and AAP)
Other well-placed informants say Meghan expected to be the glittering star of the show when she joined the House of Windsor, but has been left furiously trying to claw her way out of Kate’s shadow.
“Meghan thought she’d be the star power the royals needed,” says our source.
“She’s learning the hard way – that grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons is a huge no-no in the eyes of the Queen.”
Ready to be Queen: Kate, pictured at the BAFTA Awards earlier this month with Prince William, has stepped up her royal duties. (Image: Getty)
“Kate, meanwhile, remains the epitome of grace. It’s no wonder the Queen already feels that Kate and William are ready to take the throne,” our source adds.
“She’s preparing Kate to be Queen as much as possible, so she’s fully armed and ready to deal with her out of control sister-in-law in the years to come.
“No one would be surprised if she skipped Charles altogether and crowned Kate – and William – as soon as possible.”
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