Kate Middleton Is a ‘Power Player’ Who Is ‘Stealthily Establishing Herself as Kingmaker,’ Expert Says
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge has become a more visible presence in recent months and she’s proving that she can more than confidently handle any challenge that comes her way. From the Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex exit drama to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Kate has stepped up her game and shown that she’s a “power player,” one royal expert believes.
Kate has had a heavier workload
In an article for Tatler, writer Anna Pasternak dives into how Kate has been showing up to provide support and assurance during the health crisis which happened to coincide with Megxit.
“It’s easy to forget, with the all-encompassing threat and disruption of the coronavirus crisis, that this tumultuous time follows an extremely busy period for William and Kate,” Pasternak notes. Kate’s plate has been plenty full, as she’s taken on 11 royal engagements in a month, Pasternak says, calling it “a grueling attempt to buffer the barrage of bad news destabilizing the House of Windsor on a near-daily basis.”
Kate has risen to the challenges that have been presented to her and done so with grace.
She’s ‘establishing herself as kingmaker’
Kate stepping up in this way has shown that she can tackle anything that comes her way, with Pasternak stating, “Kate is, some argue, a kingmaker.”
“Kate understands that the only credo of the Royal Family is duty, duty, duty… Whereas with the Sussexes it is constant uncertainty, [the Cambridges] represent stability and continuity,” one royal courtier shared with Tatler.
Kate’s hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed and her contribution is significant. “Is the royal once dubbed the Duchess of Dolittle because she had so few public engagements stealthily establishing herself as kingmaker — the person to save, and salve, the monarchy?,” the author wonders.
The duchess is quite skilled at never having a misstep for the media to latch on to for their headlines, something that one courtier calls “an almighty relief.”
“She doesn’t create press headaches or court scandal, which, given everything else that is going on, is an almighty relief,” the insider shared.
While the duchess doesn’t stir up drama, she shouldn’t be underestimated. “Kate has emerged as the ultimate power player,” Pasternak writes.
Kensington Palace issued a statement about ‘false representations’
In response to the article, Kensington Palace issued a statement about some of the inaccuracies in the article. “This story contains a swathe of inaccuracies and false misrepresentations which were not put to Kensington Palace prior to publication,” a palace spokesperson shared in a statement.
Tatler stood by Pasternak’s reporting, however, with a spokesperson for the magazine telling ET, “Tatler’s Editor-in-Chief Richard Dennen stands behind the reporting of Anna Pasternak and her sources. Kensington Palace knew we were running the ‘Catherine the Great’ cover months ago and we asked them to work together on it. The fact they are denying they ever knew is categorically false.”
It’s unclear which parts of the article the palace found to be misrepresentations, but there were claims made about Kate’s relationship with Prince Harry and Meghan as well as an insider’s quote that the duchess “is furious about the larger workload” following Megxit and “feels exhausted and trapped.”
