KATE'S MUM IS A "VITAL ANCHOR WHEN THINGS GET TRICKY'

Royal expert Jennie Bond tells OK! the Princess of Wales has turned to her mother Carole Middleton for support during a turbulent few months

It’s already been a tough year for the Princess of Wales, but in the past few days, the royal has had fresh difficulties to cope with.

Outlandish theories on social media continue to swirl about her health and whereabouts in spite of clear guidance from the Palace about when Kate, 42, who is still in recovery from abdominal surgery, might return to public duties. At the same time, her uncle, Gary Goldsmith, has taken part in Celebrity Big Brother and hasn’t been slow to come forward with opinions about his niece.

And to top it off, The Army removed a claim on its website that the Princess of Wales would be attending Trooping the Colour in June, throwing further fuel on the social media fire surrounding Kate at this difficult time.

The princess has of course had the support of her family, especially husband William, 41, their children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Prince Louis, as well as the wider royal family. However, it is her mother, Carole Middleton, who – in the words of the late Queen Elizabeth II – has been Kate’s strength and stay in recent months.

The pair were recently photographed in a car together in Windsor, with Carole behind the wheel the first time Kate has been seen in public since Christmas Day. The image – with Kate in the front passenger seat, well wrapped up and behind large sunglasses – illustrates the closeness between mother and daughter.

The BBC’s former royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, tells OK! she thinks the pair would have been upset to have been captured by a long lens on a private outing.