Earlier this month, the British magazine Tatler put a photo of Kate Middleton at the BAFTAs in February on their cover. Despite the flattering image, the story that ran alongside insulted Prince William’s speech at the same event and went on to claim that Kate is furious over her royal workload. The story prompted a threat of legal action from Kensington Palace and pushback over some of its assertions about how Kate is adapting to life after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped back from their royal roles. According to this week’s People cover story, any stress that Kate is feeling is simply a reflection of the high-profile position she is in.
“She’d have to be superhuman not to feel the pressure,” Sarah Gristwood, a royal biographer, told the magazine. “Those who know her say there is a real core of strength, and she did set her mind to the job.”
Besides, an insider said that the pressure isn’t about the workload or Meghan and Harry’s absence. “I think the pressure is more about her public image, making sure she is wearing the right brands, showing the kids in less expensive clothing, especially right now,” the source told the magazine. “Small details, but they matter.”
Still, Kensington Palace doesn’t normally respond to stories with salacious details like the Tatler article. One reason why it might have drawn such a fiery response are the quotes from royal insiders attacking Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, for her middle-class background and ongoing active role in Kate’s life.
Another source told People Carole isn’t the pushy helicopter mom Tatler made her out to be. “There is no way you would describe her as that,” the source said. “She’s an incredibly kind person.” The source added that Carole has spent the last few months helping out a neighbor suffering from COVID-19.
Despite the turmoil in the royal family—and the world at large—during 2020, Kate has continued to make sure her royal role reflects her personality. She began the year by launching an early childhood research survey that proved her commitment to her foundation work. Later, she appeared on a podcast and a morning show, showing off some of the flair and personality that observers have long said she possesses in private.
She already started a major shift when she began taking photos of her family a few months after Princess Charlotte was born in 2015. Though she has long been passionate about art and photography, it was also a savvy move. According to the Telegraph, the Kate-supplied images have put a serious dent in the market for paparazzi photos of the children in private moments.
A few months into the coronavirus lockdown, Kate partnered with the National Portrait Gallery to announce Hold Still, a photography contest seeking images that reflected the country’s resilience through the pandemic. This week, she personally took to Instagram to comment on some of her favorites. “Thank you so much for taking part in the Hold Still project. I get so much joy from being outside and gardening too,” she wrote, signing the comment with a “C” for Catherine.
So while the vigorous response to the Tatler story has the air of a coordinated media push, it’s allowing more insiders to talk about what Kate is really like. According to them, the approachable public Kate isn’t too far off from the person you might meet in private.
And she really is determined. “Catherine is the sort of woman who will take on whatever she needs to,” a source told People. “If she needs to step up to the plate, she does it—and she always has.”
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