Kate Middleton’s masterplan to save the royal family

When she stepped out in that sparkling gold dress at the UK premiere of the new James Bond film, it was clear Kate Middleton hadn’t only reached the top of her game, she also knew exactly what she had to do to restore the royals’ reputation and make the world fall in love with Britain’s famous family once more.

And as she supported her husband Prince William at the Earthshot Prize awards in October, all eyes were once again on the Duchess of Cambridge looking beautiful in a recycled lilac Alexander McQueen Grecian- style dress. It was Kate who ended up taking centre stage in London, radiating confidence and poise as she gave an assured and eloquent speech before announcing the finalists and winner at the inaugural ceremony on 17 October.

“If we don’t act now, we will permanently destabilise our planet and we will rob our children of the future they deserve. Our Earthshot Prize finalists show us however, that we can, by 2030, see the natural world growing, not shrinking, for the first time in centuries,” she told the 100-strong crowd at Alexandra Palace, London.

Despite William launching the initiative with celebrated environmentalist David Attenborough, he was more than happy to take a back seat and allow his wife to revel in the limelight on the night.

Rather than being seen as a supporting act, Kate, 39, has really stepped out on her own, carving out her unique path as a modern royal. The mum-of-three has found and pursued her own interests, with her work reflecting her passions including strong support for children’s early years, sport and photography. Kate is said to be in talks to film a documentary exploring early childhood development, which may have a similar feel to the BBC’s geneaology series Who Do You Think You Are?, having spoken to TV boss David Glover.

“Catherine is very interested in a programme,” an insider said. “She thinks it could be a really significant way to explore an important subject.”

And there are rumours that the duchess could be sharing details of her own family tree, having revealed that she has been delving into four generations of her family as part of her work into the subject.

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The Duchess of Cambridge has become a consistently reliable and dependable member of The Firm, which senior family members really appreciate. Her efforts have paid off as she and Wills have emerged as reliable royals over the past year, ensuring that the family’s image has remained intact and untarnished in the wake of Harry and Meghan’s exit and the sexual abuse allegations surrounding Prince Andrew. They have managed They have managed to restore the public’s faith in the monarchy despite it being a year of major upheaval.

Kate’s recent appearances have fuelled speculation that she’s getting ready to step into the Queen’s formidable shoes, despite William being second in line to the throne after his father Prince Charles. Royal experts believe that although she will get the title of Queen Consort, it’s likely that she will take on a greater and more prominent role within the monarchy.

“There remains a growing sense that the 39-year-old mother is fast becoming the saviour of the royal family,” said The Daily Telegraph’s Camilla Tominey.

“And if you think that’s overstating it: consider the pivotal role Kate has yet to play in the monarchy as both the wife and the mother of a future king. The Duchess of Cornwall will be the next Queen – on paper at least – but when it comes to ushering in 21st-century royalty, Kate will rule the waves.”

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Royal commentator Antonio Caprarica agreed, telling the God Save The Queen podcast, “The dynasty has been saved by the women. And the next saviour will be Kate. Through the history of this family, women are vital – Victoria reigned for nearly 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II is at nearly 68 years of reign. When the Queen is no longer there, it’s clear the centre of the royal family will be Kate.”

He added, “She’s got charisma, beauty, poise and intelligence. So it will once again be a woman who guarantees the survival of the dynasty.”

A princess for the people, just like her late mother-in-law Diana, Kate’s power lies in her relatability and approachability despite her privilege and wealth. She made a surprise low-key appearance to murdered Sarah Everard’s vigil on Clapham Common in March and sent a heartfelt letter to her family.

TV presenter Ant McPartlin opened up to her about his addiction to painkillers and alcohol at the launch of her new charity project Taking Action On Addiction, to raise awareness and understanding of the disorder.

As Ant revealed that “by the time I asked for help it was bad”, an empathetic Kate told him, “Once you start sharing your story, there are so many people who have experienced it themselves, or have known someone.”

In her keynote speech, she said to guests, “Addiction is not a choice. No one chooses to become an addict. But it can happen to any of us. None of us are immune.”

Despite being busy with all her official responsibilities, she still makes time to let her hair down – another quality the public loves. When she unexpectedly bumped into Ant and his TV sidekick Declan Donnelly at the same event, she quipped that she felt like she needed to do a Bushtucker Trial – a reference to their reality show I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Dec laughed before replying, “We can arrange that!”

She’s also game to get her hands – and feet – dirty. During a recent visit to Northern Ireland, the duchess challenged William to see who was best at kicking a football and rugby ball, even joking with onlookers, “Who has the better technique?” Sporty Kate also joined US Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu for a doubles match, and on a visit to the RAF Air Cadets’ Windermere Adventure Training Centre in Cumbria she took part in mountain biking and abseiling.

The Cambridges’ concern for mental health, homelessness and addiction amongst others seems genuine and down-to-earth as they connect with the public in a relevant way.

Laura Mayhall, associate professor at the Catholic University of America, remarked, “Kate and William are evoking Diana’s ease with ‘ordinary people’, an ease which both Charles and Camilla lack. It shouldn’t be surprising that Kate and William are following in Diana’s footsteps. To remain relevant, the royal family has to engage with the preoccupations of its public, and William and Kate seem to be able to move seamlessly from one end of the social scale to the other, just like she did, unlike Charles and Camilla’s awkwardness in public.”

Having celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary last April, Kate and William, 39, have grown in confidence and found their stride together. More visible than ever, the couple are slick professional royals who are playing their fairy- tale roles superbly. But they’re able to straddle their public and private lives, knowing when to switch on the glamour and when to call out things that don’t seem right to them, such as when William criticised William Shatner’s recent space mission.

Away from the glare of the cameras, they are loving parents to George, eight, Charlotte, six, and Louis, three. In spite of their status, the family, who do their shopping at Waitrose, lead a relatively normal life and enjoy wholesome activities. Kate often talks about her children and shares photos of them at various milestones, including their birthdays.

She dresses them in high-street brands like John Lewis, H&M and Gap and she makes sure they have a carefree childhood and as normal an upbringing as possible. This was shown in a recent video they shared for their tenth wedding anniversary, which saw Kate and William strolling on the beach in Norfolk, toasting marshmallows over an open fire, chasing their children in the garden and enjoying a cuddle.

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And after another summer staycation this year, the children were treated to their first holiday abroad in two years during the October half-term holiday when the smiling family was seen with all their luggage at Heathrow airport. Judging by their clothes – George was wearing shorts – they were off somewhere hot!

There are also reports that they could soon be moving to Windsor Castle, but it’s expected that the duchess will make the transition as easy as possible for her children.

Palace insiders reveal that the duke and duchess want their children to pursue their own careers, independent of the royal family, with the exception of George, who is in line to be King.

“William and Kate don’t want history to repeat itself and Prince Louis seem like a royal hanger-on and go down the Duke of York path,” Camilla Tominey said, adding that they want to “get the balance right” with Charlotte and Louis.

Rumours abound that Kate and William are planning to go on a US tour in the near future, sparking further friction with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

“This will be an important visit, as Meghan and Harry have done damage to the US perception of the royals. This tour to the States really has to be a success, so I imagine William and Kate will front it,” royal expert Duncan Larcombe told Closer.

“They are the most popular members of the royal family – apart from the Queen, who no longer performs overseas duties. At the moment, it seems like they can do no wrong. They’ll be the royals’ best bet in boosting the popularity of The Firm in America.”

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