William and Kate’s annus MIRABILIS: Reinvention of the Cambridges

Not so long ago they were known as ‘Workshy Wills’ and ‘The Duchess of Dolittle’ and viewed as rather stuffy and boring. How times have changed!

For in a year of self-generated royal calamities, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have proved — as demonstrated by a prime-time TV appearance with national treasure Mary Berry and that captivating family snap on their Christmas card — to have quietly morphed into the country’s most popular royals.

Compared with the rather showy, celebrity- obsessed lifestyles of some of their nearest and perhaps not so dearest, William and Kate’s brand of unabashed ‘middle classness’ is being seen as a royal USP — unique selling point —not a label of derision.

Thanks to a much healthier relationship with the mainstream media, the children are free to go about their daily routine and a hugely grateful William has responded with more regular family photocalls. Prince William is pictured above in a Christmas card with the Duchess of Cambridge, Princes George and Louis, and Princess Charlotte

Indeed, as one insider put it to me this week: ‘It feels like this has been the year everyone fell in love with the Cambridges again.’

Their determination to ignore the naysayers and follow the Queen’s example by focusing on what matters, namely their family and charity work, has paid dividends.

As a result we see a new Brand Cambridge: solid, relatable, reliable. And in these times of political upheaval, royal advisers feel strongly that it is what the country needs.

Let’s not forget, this has hardly been the best of years for ‘The Firm’.

Back in January, Prince Philip, then 97, was involved in a car crash in Norfolk which led to him giving up driving on public roads.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, meanwhile, have drawn criticism for perceived hypocrisy over their concern for the planet but penchant for travelling by private jet.

Nor did a frank interview during their African tour play well, after Harry appeared to confirm reports that he and his brother were no longer as close, and Meghan spoke of the difficulties of her life as a new wife and mother, and a lack of sympathy for her plight.

Their determination to ignore the naysayers and follow the Queen’s example by focusing on what matters, namely their family and charity work, has paid dividends. As a result we see a new Brand Cambridge: solid, relatable, reliable. And in these times of political upheaval, royal advisers feel strongly that it is what the country needs. The couple are pictured in Pakistan

Their determination to ignore the naysayers and follow the Queen’s example by focusing on what matters, namely their family and charity work, has paid dividends. As a result we see a new Brand Cambridge: solid, relatable, reliable. And in these times of political upheaval, royal advisers feel strongly that it is what the country needs. The couple are pictured in Pakistan

And then, of course, there is Prince Andrew, the sordid Epstein affair and that ill-judged interview with Emily Maitlis, prompting his withdrawal from public life.

In stark contrast, the Cambridges have enjoyed something of an annus mirabilis.

Whitehall sources tell me they have been so impressed by what the couple achieved over the past 12 months that they plan to put William and Kate at the vanguard of a post-election, Brexit-soothing charm offensive, both in the UK and abroad.

Details of this new role have yet to be announced, but with nationalism on the rise north of the border and a need to redefine Britain’s relations with Europe, it is hoped the couple’s glamorous brand of easy diplomacy can be used to great effect in helping to unify the country and strengthen international ties.

It would be easy to say this reinvention is down to the couple’s growing maturity, which certainly plays a part. But the secret to William and Kate’s recent success is so much more than that.

Compared with the rather showy, celebrity- obsessed lifestyles of some of their nearest and perhaps not so dearest, William and Kate’s brand of unabashed ‘middle classness’ is being seen as a royal USP — unique selling point —not a label of derision. The Duchess of Cambridge is pictured with Prince Louis

Compared with the rather showy, celebrity- obsessed lifestyles of some of their nearest and perhaps not so dearest, William and Kate’s brand of unabashed ‘middle classness’ is being seen as a royal USP — unique selling point —not a label of derision. The Duchess of Cambridge is pictured with Prince Louis

The couple have a new-found sense of purpose and confidence, thanks to the realisation that they can use their position to make a meaningful contribution to national life while protecting their family, too.

‘They are in a very healthy place both personally and professionally and are really coming to terms with their role,’ says one who knows them well.

‘They are working harder than ever before and juggling an even bigger family, but have tried hard to find a successful balance between their work and home life.’

This balance is vital as the couple embark on the next step of their royal journey, preparing to become the future Prince and Princess of Wales.

The past year has seen a stepping-up of their royal duties on the international stage in support of the Queen, with a triumphant visit to Pakistan — their most challenging and potentially dangerous foreign tour to date — followed by a statesman-like solo trip to the Middle East for William.

I’m told that, while the couple accept that foreign tours will play a larger part in their lives from now on, they intend to work their trips around their young family as much as possible.

Of course, there is Prince Andrew, the sordid Epstein affair and that ill-judged interview with Emily Maitlis, prompting his withdrawal from public life. In stark contrast, the Cambridges have enjoyed something of an annus mirabilis

Of course, there is Prince Andrew, the sordid Epstein affair and that ill-judged interview with Emily Maitlis, prompting his withdrawal from public life. In stark contrast, the Cambridges have enjoyed something of an annus mirabilis

When they flew to Pakistan in October, they made sure there was time to do the school run the morning before they jetted out, returning on Friday evening in time to creep into their childrens’ rooms to kiss them goodnight.

These Monday-to-Friday mini-tours will become their modus operandi in future — and when longer trips beckon, as they may next year, they will try to work them around the school holidays and take George, Charlotte and Louis, too.

‘Family time remains an absolute priority,’ a source tells me.

‘William’s experience as a young boy, being shuttled between two parents, has left him determined to lay down solid foundations for his own brood. One, if not both of them, do the school drop-off or pick-up pretty much every day, and they always sit down to eat together as a family. He is a very doting and hands-on dad.

‘The fact is, he knows what’s coming and wants them to have as normal a childhood as possible while they can.’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, meanwhile, have drawn criticism for perceived hypocrisy over their concern for the planet but penchant for travelling by private jet. Nor did a frank interview during their African tour play well, after Harry appeared to confirm reports that he and his brother were no longer as close

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, meanwhile, have drawn criticism for perceived hypocrisy over their concern for the planet but penchant for travelling by private jet. Nor did a frank interview during their African tour play well, after Harry appeared to confirm reports that he and his brother were no longer as close

Last month, for example, Kate was forced to pull out of a gala charity dinner with her husband as they didn’t have a babysitter. 

Their beloved nanny Maria Borrallo was on holiday and Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, who would normally step in, had a prior commitment.

‘While they wouldn’t insult the rest of us by saying they are just like us, they do find themselves juggling the same sort of challenges, childcare being one,’ a source said.

As a result of the firm boundaries William and Kate have drawn up, George, Charlotte and Louis are turning into happy, well-adjusted young children.

Sports-mad George has joined a local football club (and has a set of goals at both Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall, their country home), while Charlotte attends a ballet class each week with friends.

The family are also familiar figures at the Hurlingham Club, West London’s exclusive sports and social venue.

The truth is, William adored his mother but doesn’t want to be defined by her in the way Harry, that little bit younger and more vulnerable when they lost Diana, feels that he needs to be. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pictured above with their son Archie

The truth is, William adored his mother but doesn’t want to be defined by her in the way Harry, that little bit younger and more vulnerable when they lost Diana, feels that he needs to be. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are pictured above with their son Archie

Thanks to a much healthier relationship with the mainstream media, the children are free to go about their daily routine and a hugely grateful William has responded with more regular family photocalls (an example that Harry and Meghan — currently on ‘sabbatical’ somewhere in Canada, as the Mail reveals today — would do well to note).

As a couple, William and Kate are not given to overly familiar demonstrations of affection in public, but they do have a chemistry that is impossible to fake, continually whispering to each other, laughing and flirting.

It’s clear the attraction is still there. (Mary Berry this week called them a ‘pigeon couple’ because they can’t help ‘cooing’ at each other and are together for life.)

They also work extremely well together.

Kate, 38 next month, has a new-found confidence and has found her groove in her work with families and young people. And she is being asked to keep the Queen company more at official engagements — a sign of the faith the Sovereign places in her.

The past year has seen a stepping-up of their royal duties on the international stage in support of the Queen, with a triumphant visit to Pakistan — their most challenging and potentially dangerous foreign tour to date. The Duchess of Cambridge plays cricket in Lahore, Pakistan in October

The past year has seen a stepping-up of their royal duties on the international stage in support of the Queen, with a triumphant visit to Pakistan — their most challenging and potentially dangerous foreign tour to date. The Duchess of Cambridge plays cricket in Lahore, Pakistan in October

William often talks privately of his pride at how well his instinctively shy and private wife has coped with the spotlight, and is clearly in genuine awe of her abilities as a mother, giving their three children the kind of stable upbringing he craved as a child.

The couple’s role within the Royal Family is also developing, with William, in particular, growing closer to his grandmother, grandfather and father. 

His thoughts were even sought recently on the thorny issue of Uncle Andrew and his friendship with the late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein.

‘It’s very clear that the Cambridges’ status within the Royal Family is evolving,’ one source tells me. Their role has changed a lot in the past year. They are building a new team around them with a keen eye on the future and the Duke is definitely listened to more.’

This stepping up in the family pecking order is crucial, given the increasing frailness of his grandfather Prince Philip, 98 — now living a solitary life at Sandringham — which has left the Queen needing the support of her heirs more than ever before.

This, in turn, has led to a noticeable thaw in his relationship with his father, the Prince of Wales. The pair meet regularly now, normally at Clarence House, Charles’s London home.

Theirs has not been the easiest of relationships. Charles was often, by virtue of his work and his own upbringing, a slightly laissez-faire father, and the two men are cut from different cloth (apart from their explosive tempers).

There are many issues — not least William’s late mother, Diana — on which they will never see eye to eye.

Palace insiders have confided to me over the years about hearing terrible rows between father and son, over everything from the running of their households to family dynamics.

But William, 37, is developing a new respect and admiration for Charles’s achievements — his founding of the Prince’s Trust, for example, his work on climate change and his deft stewardship of the Duchy of Cornwall, which provides the official income for the heir to the throne that the second-in-line will one day inherit.

I understand they also agree on one crucial, yet internally sensitive, point: that for the monarchy to survive, it needs to be more slimline and cost-efficient.

It may be the Middletons to whom William still turns on issues of childcare and family life, but when it comes to matters of kingship, Charles is now gently guiding his son’s hand.

‘William will never entirely understand his father but there’s a more healthy respect there, particularly for what his father has achieved. And the Duke is exploring how he can take the prince’s achievements forward for a new generation,’ a source says.

The only fly in the ointment, it seems, is William and Kate’s relationship — or rather, lack of one — with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

It is a rift that still runs worryingly deep. I am told the Cambridges only met their future sister-in-law four or five times before an uncharacteristically secretive Harry got engaged and they were suddenly thrust into a personal and professional partnership that saw them dubbed — rather optimistically, it seems now — ‘The Fab Four’.

No one can quite put their finger on when the schism occurred, but Harry is known to feel bitter that his bride didn’t receive the welcome or support from his family that he felt she deserved, and he instinctively takes her side over anything and anyone.

Indeed, the froideur is so bad, I am told, that the Cambridge children have barely met their new cousin Archie more than a couple of times.

One royal insider tells me there is still hope the couples will be able to work out their differences in the long term. But for the time being, the gulf between them is still achingly wide.

As a couple, William and Kate are not given to overly familiar demonstrations of affection in public, but they do have a chemistry that is impossible to fake, continually whispering to each other, laughing and flirting. It’s clear the attraction is still there. (Mary Berry this week called them a ‘pigeon couple’ because they can’t help ‘cooing’ at each other and are together for life)

As a couple, William and Kate are not given to overly familiar demonstrations of affection in public, but they do have a chemistry that is impossible to fake, continually whispering to each other, laughing and flirting. It’s clear the attraction is still there. (Mary Berry this week called them a ‘pigeon couple’ because they can’t help ‘cooing’ at each other and are together for life)

‘They two brothers are still fully united by the thing that has always bound them — the loss of their mother — and they still agree on lots of issues. They do talk occasionally,’ I am told. 

‘But, yes, the relationship is markedly different from how it was two years ago and no one can see that changing for the foreseeable future, at least. They are on very different paths now.’

The truth is, William adored his mother but doesn’t want to be defined by her in the way Harry, that little bit younger and more vulnerable when they lost Diana, feels that he needs to be.

Now a father of three, William has come to the realisation that, while he will always honour his mother’s memory, he must also focus on creating a legacy for himself, Kate and their children.

‘It’s about looking to the future and not being stifled by the past,’ I am told. My source adds: ‘Of course, what happened to his mother still haunts him.

‘He will always feel angry that no one within the institution [of the monarchy] stood up for Diana, when all she was doing was looking out for other people, and is determined that the same will never happen to his family.

‘He feels huge guilt at not having been able to protect his mother and will never allow history to repeat itself. But he knows it is important for him to look towards the future.’

So what does that future hold?

Certainly, at least two foreign tours in 2020 and the launch of three high-profile campaigns close to the Cambridges’ hearts.

And with Prince Louis due to start nursery in the next few months, perhaps even baby number four? William has vowed not but Kate admits she is ‘eternally broody’.

This unashamedly bourgeois couple are now successfully forging a new path that carefully balances the old with the new. 

It is a model that may yet ensure the survival of the British monarchy into the next half-century and beyond.

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