Kate Middleton Is Stepping Into Prince Philip's Role As The 'Glue' That Keeps The Family Together

May 26, 2021 by apost team

The past few years have been especially tumultuous for the royal family. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced in January 2020 that they would be taking a step back from their roles as senior royals, the couple moved to Southern California and the duo openly criticized their own family in multiple interviews. During the same period, Queen Elizabeth II lost her “strength and stay,” Prince Philip, who died on April 9 at 99 years old. Given these seismic shifts in the royal family — both at home in London and abroad in California — it’s no wonder that there has been an uptick in familial conflict. A widening rift between brothers, revelations regarding Prince Diana’s infamous Panorama interview, the death of one of the nation's most important figures, and internal criticisms have made it seem like the family is coming apart.

With that said, one member of the royal family may be the key to holding it all together. According to one royal expert, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, may be able to fill Philip’s shoes as the “glue” that keeps the royal family together — even during this rather chaotic and somber period.

The royal expert, Vanity Fair’s royal editor Katie Nicholl, spoke to Kate’s role and its growing importance on a May 23 episode of “60 Minutes Australia.” Nicholl not only addressed the idea that Kate might hold the family together, but she also touched on the possibility that the duchess and her husband might supersede Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla in the line of royal succession.

The segment, titled “Kate the Great,” saw Nicholl respond to the notion that Kate might be one of the royal family’s biggest assets during this period of royal infighting.

“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,” Nicholl explained.

“He was the patriarch of the family. I see Kate stepping into that role. Trying to keep things together.”

Nicholl also addressed the possibility that Kate and William might ascend to the throne in front of Charles and Camilla, who are officially ahead of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. This sort of speculation comes after Kate and William’s remarkable popularity in the U.K. 

According to a YouGov poll from the first quarter of 2021, William and Kate are the second and third most popular royals with 61 percent and 59 percent popularity, respectively. Elizabeth is the most popular royal with 69 percent of those polled having a positive opinion of the monarch. Compared to Charles, at 40 percent, and Camilla, at 37 percent, William, Kate and the queen are among the country’s most-beloved royals. Despite their popularity, however, Nicholl poured cold water on the idea that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge might ascend to the throne ahead of Charles and Camilla.

"A lot of people think it would make more sense to skip a generation and let the crown move straight to William and Kate,” Nicholl admitted.

"Possibly they might prove a more popular king and queen than Charles and Camilla."

"But the idea of breaking constitution — and that is essentially everything the royal family is built upon — is really something that’s not going to happen," Nicholl added.

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For fans and experts who have been following the royal family since Kate was first pictured with William on a ski trip in 2004, the very idea that the Duchess of Cambridge is taking a central role in the family might come as a surprise. As Nicholl explains, many people overlooked Kate and thought of her as a mere accessory to the royal family early on. Now, however, Nicholl argues that Kate may be the family's "greatest asset."

“(Kate) has played it safe, and that has earned her criticism. Hilary Mantel, the author, once described her as a ‘mannequin,’ that she didn’t have her own opinion, that she was just this bit part in the sidelines,” Nicholl said in the “60 Minutes Australia” interview. 

“I think that was to underestimate Kate greatly. I think actually she has simply bided her time, and now with ten years of royal service under her belt, we are hearing from her more, we are seeing more of her,” Nicholl added. “The royal family realized they have a really important key player here, and they are bringing her center stage. So we have seen a shift.”

What is, therefore, likely to happen, according to Nicholl’s analysis, is that Charles and Camilla will be the next royals to take the throne, leaving Kate and William next in line. But given that Kate is relatively young at 39 years old, she is likely to eventually take on the role of queen consort to King William V.

Since Kate is a royal-by-marriage, she will never be able to become queen proper — like Queen Elizabeth — but will remain king consort just as Philip was Elizabeth’s consort.

What do you think about Kate’s role in the royal family? Will she manage to hold it together? Let us know — and be sure to pass this informative article on to fellow royal family fans.