ROYAL RESCUE KATE TAKES CHARGE!

Why the duchess has become the shining jewel in the Windsor crown

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When the Queen was forced to cancel several public outings on the eve of her highly anticipated Platinum Jubilee celebrations after a series of health setbacks and mobility issues, a rare panic set in at the palace.

Would Her Majesty be well enough for her much-hyped milestone? Would all their planning be for nothing?

But while many courtiers appeared to lose their cool, the Duchess of Cambridge was a pillar of calm, reassuring royal aides that all would be well and offering to fill in for her grandmother-in-law at a series of engagements, including handing out the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design at a fashion event and, last week, hosting a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

In between these two events, the 96-year-old monarch did eventually come out of isolation, attending first the Windsor Horse Show and then the opening of a new underground line named in her honour, but we're told Kate's steady presence while the palace was under pressure was greatly appreciated by the Queen and has cemented her place as the royal family's secret weapon.