Queen Elizabeth 'Had Grave Concerns' About Kate Middleton Before She Married Prince William, Expert Claims
Before Meghan Markle changed the dynamic of the royal family, Queen Elizabeth was nervous about how Kate Middleton would fit into the firm before she married Prince William.
"Privately she had grave concerns and believed that Kate needed to have a job and an identity in her own right before an engagement was announced," royal expert Katie Nicholl wrote in her book, The Making of a Royal Romance.
Phil Dampier — who writes a weekly column for The Royal Observer — echoed similar thoughts.
"Kate was William's girlfriend for eight or nine years before they got engaged and got married," he said. "There was a phase where she appeared to be doing very little, really. The Queen once remarked Kate doesn't do very much so I think she had a fairly long entrance to the royal family."
However, that changed, as Kate is always spotted at royal engagements, and she even announced her new venture last week!
"Today I’m proud to be launching The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood — let’s embrace this golden opportunity to create a happier, more mentally healthy and more nurturing society," she wrote on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Twitter account.
In fact, Kate has really leaned into her role in the royal family.
"Kate's standing in the Royal Family has now come so far that many believe she is their biggest asset," host Tom Steinfort said on 60 Minutes Australia.
Nicholl added, "I think Kate is the glue. In the same way that the Duke of Edinburgh was always the one who would help resolve family issues. He was the patriarch of the family. I see Kate stepping into that role. Trying to keep things together."
The brunette beauty even tried to help bring Prince Harry and William together in April at Prince Philip's funeral.
"They were very tense as they walked into that chapel," Nicholl said of the princes. "As they came out of it, you could see some tension diffused. And I think that was largely down to the Duchess of Cambridge, who made a point of speaking to Harry and when she did that, you can see them visibly relax."
Nicholl continued, "It's always been my understanding that behind the scenes, Kate has tried very hard to forge a rapprochement and act as a peacemaker between William and Harry. She loves Harry. She says that she is the sister that he never had. She has been heartbroken to see them fall out, and I think she is one of the few people, one of the few family members who would actually be able to push the brothers together, which she did in a very subtle way, but was very effective."
Now, Kate is trying to do it all over again when Harry and William reunite at Princess Diana's statue unveiling on July 1.
"The Duchess has seen this project evolve from its conception and now to the finished article and undoubtedly wants to be there to support her husband," a source shared with The Mirror. "No doubt there will be tensions between the Cambridges and Harry, but they all recognize that despite the obvious and deep rooted issues between them, they want the day to be solely about the Princess of Wales’ enduring legacy."
