KATE the Great

As the Royal Family continues to teeter on the edge of crisis, is ‘Saint Kate’ the secret saviour who can steer the ship to safety?

- Saint Kate

Suitably sombre in a military-style jacket and wide-brimmed hat, it was The Duchess of Cambridge’s central spot on the balcony for Remembrance Sunday that showed how naturally she steps up to the role of Queen.

As illness prevented Her Majesty from attending the event last November, the matriarchal image of Kate, flanked by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Sophie, Countess of Wessex on either side, appeared to embody all the values of service, grit and duty that underpin the monarchy.

Speculation is increasing that the Royal Family is in the doldrums. The fallout from the scandal of Prince Andrew’s friendship with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the emergence of Prince Charles’ alleged ‘cash for honours’ scandal and the Duke of Sussex’s tell-all memoir, which is due out later this year, has led royal experts to claim that, behind the scenes, Kate is gradually being groomed to be the shining star who could lead the monarchy to safety.

So just how is it that The Duchess of Cambridge, who turned 40 earlier this year, is quietly emerging as Her Majesty’s secret weapon?

Eyes to the future