Why The Future Of The British Monarchy May Be Resting On Kate Middleton's Shoulders

The British royal family has taken quite a hit personally and in the eyes of the public over the last few years. First, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, shocked the world in 2020 when they opted to leave the United Kingdom and their royal duties behind for life in California. Eventually, the couple gave a scathing interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 in which they revealed mental health issues they had while living as royals, according to CNN.

The death of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband of more than 70 years, soon dealt another blow to the royals, as did accusations that Prince Andrew had sexual relations with an American teenager, who is now an adult suing the royal. As court proceedings carried on in early 2022, the queen stripped her second son of his military titles (via USA Today) even among her own health issues (via CBS News). With the royal family taking hit after hit, at least there is one family member the firm is looking towards to repair its reputation and be the public persona the British public craves from its monarchy and that is Prince William's wife, Kate Middleton.

At one time, Princess Diana – the late royal-by-marriage to Prince Charles who died tragically in a car accident in 1997 — was known as "The People's Princess," as her popularity with the British public rarely waned (via CNN). Now, her daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, seems to be inheriting that title.

"As the Prince Andrew scandal shows, the monarchy is in desperate need of reassuringly conventional royal performers," Patrick Jephson, the former chief of staff for Diana, told Page Six. "Catherine is just what these troubled royal times need — it's no exaggeration that the Windsors' future lies in her hands."

Indeed, as Kate turned 40 on January 9, 2022, she stepped out in a pair of earrings that belonged to Diana herself. "It's a very calculated decision by Kate and William to keep including Diana in anything that is about setting out a new royal chapter," Bethan Holt, fashion director of The Daily Telegraph, said. "It's very clever of Kate to keep her memory alive."

As one anonymous royal source told Page Six, Kate may be the British monarchy's last great hope after the disappointing Charles and Diana split. "If Charles and Diana had made a go of it we wouldn't be talking like this," the source said. "Because Charles and Camilla put their own needs and happiness first [having an affair that helped lead to the end of Charles and Diana's marriage], we are in a continuing constitutional bind that means that William and Kate are the Windsors' last cards."