Preparing for the worst KATE'S LOOMING CRISI

Fears for her husband and bullied Prince George are causing the duchess heartbreak as she faces new nightmares

- Judy Kean

Since joining the royal family a decade ago, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, has become the poster girl for how to keep calm and carry on, no matter what life throws at her.

And at the moment, Kate is currently doing a first-class job of presenting a dignified front, while hiding intense heartache.

Fiercely protective mum Kate, 39, has been deeply upset by recent incidents involving her eldest son, Prince George, which are prompting her and Prince William to re-evaluate his future and how much they “expose” him to the world.

There was an outcry when an HBO animated TV series, The Prince, was released, depicting future king George as a spoiled brat. None of the family are sympathetically portrayed, but George, eight, comes off worst. His cartoon version is an entitled would-be tyrant who worries about his weight and harbors ill feelings towards his siblings Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three.

The comedy show is a parody but some critics say it has gone too far. Journalist and royal biographer Omid Scobie says, “Royals have been parodied on dozens of shows over the years, including Spitting Image and The Windsors, but this is the first time I can recall children being targeted. It may be a comedy, but it comes across as creepy and borderline bullying.”