Princess Kate turns 43: The secret kingmaker

What a year: 2024 was a real “annus horribilis” for the British royal family. Hardly any royal commentator could resist once again pulling out the catchphrase coined by the late Queen.

Or as Prince William himself recently put it in an interview: It was brutal. Not only did he have to take greater care of his wife and, with her, ensure that the children George, Charlotte and Louis quickly learned to deal with the terribly unsettling situation of a mother suffering from a long-term and life-threatening illness. At the same time, William’s father, King Charles III, was also facing cancer, and so were his closest family members. So there was great concern for the Prince of Wales on this front as well, as well as both internal and public expectations for him to take on additional representative duties for the monarch.

Another factor is the trauma that William suffered as an adolescent from the early death of his mother Diana. Even if, unlike brother Harry, he doesn’t often talk about it publicly. It must have been a terribly tormenting thought for him for many months last year that, in the worst case scenario, his children could suffer the same sad fate as he and his brother did when they had to bury their mother as 12 and 15 year olds in 1997 .

But the adult William did not collapse under the weight of this multiple challenge, certainly motivated by the goal of being there for Kate and his children in the best possible way. Although he has noticeably lost weight, he now radiates confidence again, a completely new openness and positive energy. This was most recently seen on the walk to church at Sandringham at Christmas, when he happily approached the fans waiting there and even took selfies, something that used to be a no-go for him.

The past few hard months seem to have made him stronger and further shaped his character.

But he could hardly have done it on his own. As can be seen, among other things, from hints in the current book by Kate’s brother James Middleton, it was above all Kate herself who, despite the shock of her cancer diagnosis and the stressful months of therapy, made it through her admirable attitude and her constructive approach to dealing with her severely impaired health has the ability to awaken a superpower in William.

Not only did the prince manage to spend more intensive time with his wife and children than ever before, continue to push forward his most important projects such as the environmental initiative “Earthshot Prize” and represent the sick king – even in diplomatically difficult situations Meetings like those with the newly re-elected US President Donald Trump – he also seemingly endured the public pressure in the form of negative press and social media shitstorms unaffected.

He even mastered what was almost the hardest task of all: in the face of the nasty #WhereIsKate internet smear campaign at the beginning of last year, he didn’t lose his temper (which, like his father, he tends to do when he’s irritated). Instead, he confidently maintained his composure on the outside – even though, among other things, it was even maliciously suggested that he had either cheated on his wife or even killed him, just because she had not been seen anywhere in public for months – with the palace’s announcement, mind you.

Since these rumors refused to die down, the sick princess was finally forced to address the public in a personal video message at the end of March 2024 and explain her state of health. A smart move. Just like her husband, Kate is otherwise a very private person who rarely and only tells carefully selected details about private matters. Apart from her immediate family with her parents, siblings and their partners, she only allows a small circle of closest friends, mostly from her school or university days, to come near her. The heir to the throne spends their free time with these confidants, usually very discreetly, without being noticed or even photographed by the press.

And that was truer than ever last year. William virtually shielded his sick wife completely. Even Harry and Meghan in California are said to have only found out from Kate’s TV message that their sister-in-law was suffering from cancer.

And it was no coincidence that Kate sat alone on the garden bench in her video and did not lean on William’s strong shoulder, as in the later Instagram film after chemotherapy was completed. The message was: “I have great support from my husband and family, but this is my illness and I decide how we all deal with it.”

As before in the British royal family, it is not the born royal who holds the scepter privately and publicly, but the common-born partner. This was once the case with the Queen’s father, George VI. and wife “Queen Mum” Elizabeth. She also knew how to influence the decisions of her husband and monarch with a gentle, but clearly noticeable, guiding hand. Like Kate, she wasn’t born a princess, but she came from an intact, happy family where solidarity meant everything. Elizabeth tirelessly supported her husband, who was plagued by childhood trauma and the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, and helped him develop into a strong monarch.

It is no secret among friends of the Princely Couple of Wales that Kate, strengthened and shaped by the lifelong support of her family, has contributed immensely to making the heir to the British throne the reflected, controlled and versatile man that he is today .

Shortly after their dream wedding in 2011, it was sometimes said that the young couple did not show up at appointments often enough, given the many privileges they enjoyed. But with Elizabeth II’s approval, they took things slowly and concentrated on their marriage and their offspring. Kate insisted: family first, family responsibilities were not delegated to the staff. For years, only one of the two attended many evening appointments so that one parent was always home at bedtime. Kate has always insisted that she and William focus on their small nuclear family as their top priority. Only if everything went smoothly could they, in a second step, be an enrichment for the entire royal family and the monarchy with their commitment, since the future of the institution lies in them and their children.

After all, she not only has to bear the royal dignity and burden in a few years as a team with William, but also has to prepare her eldest George, the next claimant to the throne, well for his office. Her influence on the future development of the monarchy is enormous and grew significantly last year not despite, but because of her cancer fate and her clever handling of it.

This is exactly how things are going on the occasion of Kate’s birthday: William’s uncle, Prince Edward, is taking part in the state funeral of former US President Jimmy Carter on the same day, although the Prince of Wales is usually sent to such high-profile occasions.

And the birthday child celebrates in a small circle and, as the British press suggests, can look forward to a romantic holiday in the sun for just the two of them as a gift from her husband.