Amid all the myriad scandals and setbacks of the past few years, the Princess of Wales has quietly held the royal family together with her resilience and composure. It’s hard to believe that Queen Camilla was once among Kate’s “fiercest critics” and felt she was simply “too common” to marry Prince William, according to an explosive new biography.
“She didn’t think Kate was up to snuff, as it were,” royal expert Christopher Andersen writes in his book Kate!: The Courage, Grace And Power Of The Woman Who Will Be Queen.
“She was below the salt. She had no aristocratic blood.”
In another hurtful claim, the author adds “the palace didn’t really want” Kate – who met Wills, 43, at university – as the wife of a future king. Camilla, 78, in particular, allegedly objected to the match, believing the heir should wed someone of at least noble standing – and not “a descendant of coal miners whose mother had grown up in public housing and once worked as a flight attendant”.
Kate proves her place in the Firm
With those claims in mind, it’s fair to say Camilla really underestimated Kate, 44. Since joining the royal family in 2011, the brunette beauty has rarely put a foot wrong in the public eye, earning her place as a “people’s princess”.
A palace insider tells us, “Kate has proven to have a level of discernment that equals the late Queen Elizabeth and there’s no doubt she’s firmly on the path to becoming queen.”
Even when faced with the challenges of cancer, Kate remained the secret power behind the scenes throughout a string of scandals.
Kate makes a decisive stand
For example, it was revealed last week that the mum of three was the first royal to “turn her back” on disgraced ex-prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, wisely distancing her family from his behaviour.
Kate’s forward thinking shows her full commitment to her royal duties and the seriousness with which she approaches her future role as Queen.
The royal’s greatest asset
“Kate has always been the royals’ greatest asset,” our source says.
“This hasn’t happened overnight and some of her earlier decisions may have seemed provocative at the time, but in hindsight, they turned out to be absolutely spot-on. As the first royal to shun Andrew, she’s earned herself a lot of credibility. It was easy to assume it was William’s decision, but Kate was the one to take that leap.”
Kate’s quiet return to royal duty
Last week, Kate cemented her return as a working royal with a solo trip to Italy – her first tour abroad since announcing her cancer diagnosis in March 2024. Royal watchers described the trip as a significant step in Kate’s recovery as she focused on a cause close to her heart, the early education of children.
“She is making a phenomenal comeback,” our insider says.
“The trip was deliberately short and focused solely on her passion project. No pomp and ceremony – just Kate doing things her way, on her terms. She’s excited about this next phase in her life.”
Meghan’s big-screen move?
She’s tried her hand at just about everything since leaving Hollywood, but now the Duchess of Sussex could be making a Tinseltown comeback. Rumours have been swirling that Meghan, 44, will be joining her former TV co-stars for a big-screen version of Suits, the long-running legal drama that has enjoyed a recent revival on Netflix.
The proposed return to acting, in her breakout role of paralegal Rachel Zane, would reportedly include a co-executive producer role to sweeten the deal.
“Meghan is desperate to get back into acting, and if she can also negotiate a producer credit and a share of profits, she’d sign on to a Suits movie like yesterday,” a source tells Woman’s Day.
While her reps dismiss the speculation, insiders say this is Movie Negotiation 101.
“She does miss the glamour and prestige of a film premiere, and the excitement of being on set!”
