London:
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, turned 40 on Sunday and reached the milestone as her profile rises alongside her future king husband Prince William.
Since she married Britain’s most famous family in 2011, the former Kate Middleton has become one of the most popular royals – and a figure central to his future.
Her image as a safe pair of hands at a difficult time for the monarchy was boosted during a televised Christmas carol concert in December.
She delighted fans with her musical prowess by accompanying British singer-songwriter Tom Walker on piano on his poignant song “For These Who Can’t Be Here”.
Kate was secretly rehearsing for the surprise performance at Westminster Abbey, which was dedicated to all who served their community during the coronavirus pandemic.
“She was absolutely fantastic – she crushed it. What a talented, kind, warm-hearted, beautiful person,” Walker said, describing her as “very chill, very kind” to everyone.
Both Kate and William, who will turn 40 in June, have been much more visible public figures since the onset of the global health crisis.
The pair have held video meetings with frontline health workers battling the outbreak, which has claimed some 150,000 lives in Britain since early 2020.
They’ve also provided insight into life with their three children in lockdown – albeit in a sprawling country estate on a royal estate.
When the restrictions were lifted, they have been featured at official gatherings, from the glitzy world premiere of the new James Bond film to meeting world leaders at the G7 and UN conferences on climate change.
Kate has also pushed her own initiatives such as championing early childhood education and, with William, promoting mental health and protecting the environment.
– Polite Resilience –
The couple’s former private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, told The Times that Kate’s appeal was partly due to her polite, down-to-earth and casual nature.
“She takes the time to talk to people,” he said, comparing her to Queen Elizabeth II’s mother, who was a symbol of Britain’s resilience during World War II.
‘She’s tough. She’s got that Queen Mother feeling in her, so she’s there to do them when things need to be done.’
Much of the focus on Kate since she and William started dating as students in Scotland has been on her middle-class background.
Despite attending one of Britain’s top private schools, much was made of how she would fit into the mysterious world of royalty with its traditions and conventions.
Early comparisons were inevitably made with William’s own mother, Princess Diana, who struggled with forensic media scrutiny after she married Prince Charles in 1981.
But Kate has at least given the impression in public that she would be happy to take on royal duties, and unlike her sister-in-law Meghan, she gave little away.
She has enjoyed rave coverage in the British media, especially since Meghan and her husband Prince Harry left royal life and moved to the United States last year.
– Ready for the task? –
Some attribute the difference in public attitudes to Kate and Meghan to a very British response to emotional candor in a country known for its stiff upper lip.
Meghan’s criticism of a cherished British institution, including accusations of racism, certainly did not help.
Nevertheless, Kate – known for carefully curated posts about family life on social media – has met a number of brickbats, not least because of her impeccable good looks.
The novelist Hilary Mantel even accused her of looking like “a mannequin with no personality of her own.”
But she is clearly seen as a trustworthy figure in royal circles at a crucial time.
The royal family has also been rocked by a US civil claim for sexually assaulting the Queen’s second son, Prince Andrew, and his ties to convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Harry is also set to publish his memoir this year, fearing new revelations.
Now that the Queen is 95 and relinquishing public duties for health reasons, William’s father Charles and his second wife, Camilla, have become more prominent.
But now that Charles is 73, his reign, when it begins, is already seen as a transition to William and Kate’s more up-to-date, empathetic, Instagram-worthy version of a venerable institution.
Royal author Phil Dampier said of Harry in self-exile, Andrew in the shadows and other senior royals aging, “the whole future belongs to William and Kate”.
“Fortunately, they look up to the task and I’m sure her best is yet to come,” he told the Daily Mail.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)