ONCE upon a time, there was a young woman so terrified of public speaking her aides had to put a plan in place in case her nerves failed her.
Don’t announce the duchess will be speaking, was their golden rule. That way, if she froze, no one would be disappointed. And if she managed to summon the courage to deliver her speech – well, everyone would be delighted.
Yet, to say that Kate was hardly a compelling speaker would be an understatement. She barely looked up from her notes, her voice was high-pitched and strained, and her body language gave the impression she’d find pushing sharp sticks in her eyes more enjoyable.
But just look at her now. If ever a person has grown in confidence, it’s the 37-year-old Duchess of Cambridge. These days, she glides through public appearances with ease, dazzling everyone with her sparkling smile, natural charm and perfectly delivered speeches.
She is, as one royal aide puts it, the ideal queen-to-be, and the year ahead will see her becoming an even more vital member of the royal family.
“What people are seeing is a self-assured, driven woman with a purpose,” a royal insider says. “She knows exactly where she’s going and she has the self-belief to get there under her own steam.
“She’s no longer the ‘commoner’ who married a prince, but the future queen and the mother of the future king [and] who’s loved by Queen Elizabeth, staff and the public.”
Ingrid Seward, royal expert and editor of Majesty magazine, says Kate has come into her own since marrying William in 2011.
“She was given quite a hard time in the beginning, but she’s won people over by working hard and not putting a foot wrong,” Seward reckons.
Bu hikaye YOU South Africa dergisinin 2 January 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye YOU South Africa dergisinin 2 January 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST
With more and more of us struggling with our mental health, here's a common-sense guide to coping with life's ups and downs
SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES
John van de Ruit tells us why he decided to write a sequel - and shares how his first book helped him find enduring love
SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG
A Cape Town couple have been charged with using a young woman as a sex slave-but some say she lost the job she signed up for and now has a grudge against them
LIAM LAID TO REST
More than a month after One Direction singer LIAM PAYNE (31) tragically fell to his death from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his loved ones finally got to say their goodbyes.
SHILOH HANGS OUT
THE two young women look like any pair of good friends chatting and laughing as they leave their dance class in Los Angeles.
LEO IN LOVE
He's just turned 50 and it seems Leonardo DiCaprio may finally be ready to settle down
PACKING A PUNCH
Irish actor Paul Mescal beefed up for his role in the blockbuster epic Gladiator II - and fans are loving it
I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD
As the illegitimate daughter of the king, she fought to be recognised as part of Belgium's royal family, but Princess Delphine says she still feels unwelcome
'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'
A bite from a spitting cobra 13 years ago nearly killed her but Mikayla survived - and she's made peace with her scars
THE CLAWS ARE OUT!
Things have grown frosty between the Beckhams and the Sussexes as Becks comes out in clear support of William
