It has been, by any measure, one of the most challenging periods in modern royal history. With an arrest, illness, death, departures from the Firm and the ongoing Epstein scandal heaping scrutiny on the institution like never before, the monarchy has been buffeted by storm after storm in recent years.
The King and Queen have steadied the ship as best they can, with the support of the Prince and Princess of Wales. But it is down to William and Kate to steer it safely for the next generation.
The Prince has promised “change for good” when his reign eventually comes. But key to his success as monarch, and indeed as heir to the throne, is the strength and support of his future Queen.
The couple’s statement last month in response to the ongoing Epstein saga, in which they said that they were “deeply concerned by the continuing revelations” and that “their thoughts remain focused on the victims”, showed that they are united on the issue.
HELLO! understands that William has been worried about how the scandal might affect the monarchy, but Kate’s strength, reassuring presence by his side and huge popularity give him hope.
“She is critical to the running of the monarchy, and she really does understand the vision of the future,” says Russell Myers, the author of William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story. “She’s aligned with William on the issue of Andrew [and the belief] that his continued association would have been very, very damaging to the monarchy.”
“She’s the glue, really,” adds Robert Jobson, the author of Catherine, the Princess of Wales. “She has an understanding of the way the world works. This is a woman who has come from the people and actually does understand what people expect.”
A warm reception for the Princess as she visited Leicester last week showed the strength of her connection with the public.
Kate was mobbed on the city’s Golden Mile, where crowds greeted her with hugs, vans honked their horns and an elderly woman handed her a printed Hindu blessing to wish her well.
The ‘stronger’ of the two
Although her poise, elegance and warm demeanour have made her popular the world over, it is Kate’s quiet power that is proving key to safeguarding the monarchy for the future.
By providing William with a stable and loving family life, she offers him a strong support base at home for his increasingly demanding public role. She is on hand to offer a listening ear and sound advice, and she has good instincts, according to those who know her well, about the right decisions to make.
© Andrew Parsons / Kensington PalaceAnd she is in her husband’s corner when it comes to their mutual desire to put family life above all else.
“There is a solid foundation to their relationship, and what I did find, which will surprise some people, is how much William relies on her. Not just professionally – they have a working relationship and work together a lot of the time – but also personally, emotionally,” Russell Myers says.
“People said that Catherine was arguably the stronger of the two throughout her [cancer] diagnosis and treatment. I think that tells you an awful lot about the partnership they have, and that will stand them in great stead.”
Putting family life first
Kate and William’s desire for their children to experience the same is central to their approach: get family life right and the rest will follow.
“We’ve seen so many fractious relationships in this family,” Russell says. “To have a couple who have stability at the centre of what they do is important. When everything is burning around you, you need the central figures to remain solid – and that’s what the Waleses do.
“If you get what’s going on at home right, and create a stable environment there, the rest will fall into place, because you cannot predict the future.”
© Getty ImagesThe couple have been fortunate to enjoy the support of the Middletons throughout their marriage, and it was telling that Carole and Michael appeared, playing cards around the dining table with their grandchildren, in intimate family footage shared by the Princess to mark the end of her chemotherapy in 2024.
“They’re a balanced family and very solid. William and [his younger brother Prince] Harry never had that, really; there was always a conflict. But Catherine had a completely solid family base, so family is everything,” Robert Jobson says.
“She’s seen her mum and dad supporting one another, which is what she’s doing with William. She puts the family unit above all else. William has been part of their family since he was 21 and that’s been special to him. That sense that they’re going to be there for you, that’s how she was raised.”
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