Balance Of Power

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For a woman who prefers the simple life, the Duchess of Cambridge is having a tumultuous year. “Phew,” Kate no doubt thought as she slipped away with her husband William and their three children for a discreet mid-year holiday on a private Caribbean island – but a much-changed royal scene was awaiting on their return.

In the past year, Kate has established a new home in London, had a third child, acquired a high-profile sister-in-law and seen a profound shift in the royal-duty roster. Prised away from the rustic retreat where her first two children, Prince George, five, and Princess Charlotte, three, had their start in life, the 36-year-old duchess now faces some uncomfortable options.

Making room for Meghan Markle, the glamorous American TV star, who married William’s younger brother Prince Harry in May, could be the least of them. If only for now. While London’s gossipy lunch tables hum with talk of “jealousy” and “rivalry” between the pair, Meghan’s arrival is rather more likely to have done Kate a favour.

Even after a decade on the royal frontline, Kate remains uncomfortable in the public eye. Her conspicuously modest workload is usually explained away by her desire to be a hands-on mother, but courtiers have come to accept that, while she can rise to the occasion, she will never be a “workhorse” like the Princess Royal or the now-retired Duke of Edinburgh.

So the spotlight’s shift to Meghan, the new Duchess of Sussex, is less of an annoyance than a relief to Kate. In any case, say her defenders, she simply isn’t the type for feuds and grudges. “It’s strange, isn’t it,” says royal author Vicky Arbiter, daughter of a former senior aide to the Queen, “how society likes to pit women against women? So because Meghan is suddenly popular, Kate is skulking in the corner feeling sorry for herself.