After several years of family tension, claims and accusations from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are in the rear-view mirror for Kate Middleton and Prince William – and there are no signs of a reconciliation between the two couples.
“She’s moved on, and so has William,” a friend of Kate’s told PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “She’s very focused on what’s important in the future. They don’t look back.”
As her 42nd birthday approaches on January 9, Kate can assess her first full calendar year as Princess of Wales. And while she may not be a monarch, she has replaced Queen Elizabeth, who died aged 96 in 2022, as the most famous female member of the royal family – and one of increasing influence.
“She takes things seriously — and thank God for that,” a source close to the royal household told PEOPLE.
Adds Simon Lewis, former head of communications at Buckingham Palace and co-host of the BBC podcast When the fan hits“She was seen as the centerpiece of the Windsor team.”
Kate Middleton arrives at the Together At Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey in London on December 8.
HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty
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Kate’s quiet confidence led to the success of her Shaping Us initiative — a campaign focused on the importance of the first five years of a child’s life. She paid tribute to those working in the early childhood sector at her Christmas carol concert on December 8, where she and William were the royals with the highest level of attendance.
As Princess Kate confidently led Prince William and their children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, into Westminster Abbey for their third annual carol service, it was her time to shine. Already seated in the abbey were her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, sister Pippa and extended members of the royal family, all of whom showed their support for the Princess of Wales on her big night. The absence of King Charles (75) and Queen Camilla (76) signaled that this was Kate’s crowning moment.
“She carves out a special place for herself, which is celebratory,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith tells PEOPLE. But the festive event took place amid a wave of controversy.
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Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Kate Middleton at the Together At Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey in London on December 8.
Aaron Chown – WPA collection/Getty
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Just a few days before the publication of Omid Scobie’s new book Game over described Kate as “cold” and unwelcoming to newly-wed royal Meghan and – in the Dutch translation of the book – Kate was named alongside Charles as royals who allegedly took part in discussions about the skin color of Prince Harry and Meghan’s son Prince Archie before he was born. (Buckingham Palace says aides are “exploring all options,” including legal ones, after a publishing error led to the inclusion of the name.)
Like other royal wives in history, Kate has developed a firmness behind the scenes as she supports her husband and future King William. “She has a public image of being beautiful and smiling and, dare I say it, harmless,” says royal author Valentine Low. “But she’s actually strong-minded, strong-willed and ready to fight for what she wants and what she thinks is right.”
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Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the Commonwealth at Westminster Abbey in March 2020. PHIL HARRIS/POOL/AFP
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Her steeliness came to the fore in the immediate aftermath of Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said there had been “concern and talk about how dark” their son Archie’s skin might be when he was born, ” Buckingham Palace released a 61-word statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth. The statement noted that “some recollections may differ” about what was discussed in the interview – and Low writes in his book Courtiers: The hidden power behind the crown (out in paperback in September) that Kate played a key role in promoting the phrase.
“She thought it was very important that this was not without challenges. She’s shown real strength and determination to make things clear that maybe there’s a different truth,” says Low. “Kate thinks strategically,” he adds. “She’s going to be queen one day and she has the long-term interests of the monarchy and the royal family at heart.”
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Source: HIS Education