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Kate Middleton isn’t letting allegations slow her down.
The Duchess of Cambridge is “more than happy” to step up to the plate as a senior member of the British royal family and has long believed 2020 would be a “pivotal year,” palaces source told royal expert Kate Nicholl for Vanity Fair on Monday.
“It’s the suggestion that she resents her duty and hard work which has upset her,” a source told the royal author and Vanity Fair correspondent. “She takes her role very seriously and has been working harder than ever. The idea she feels trapped and exhausted simply isn’t the case.”
The 38-year-old, who is currently isolating with her husband Prince William and their three children at their Norfolk home amid the coronavirus pandemic, have kept busy by hosting video conference calls with schools, nursing staff and other charity organizations in need of support. Middleton also did her first remote TV interview where she discussed the challenges of homeschooling during the COVID-19 crisis.
A family friend told the outlet that Middleton and William, 37, wanted to use the lockdown for a good purpose.
“It has meant lots of time together as a family, which they don’t often get, and they have enjoyed doing their bit to help out at this time,” said the pal.
A source who works closely with Middleton also told the outlet the British royal is enjoying her time being busy and is looking forward to taking on other royal duties once the lockdown is lifted.
“She has really been enjoying the early years work and has found her stride and purpose,” said the source. “She sees this work as a life-long commitment and she has worked really hard on this campaign.”
“She has thought long and hard about what she wants to do and how she can make a difference,” added a palace aide. “A lot of hard work went into the planning of this year. The focus for Catherine was always going to be the Early Years and making a real difference in this sector.”
PRINCE WILLIAM, KATE MIDDLETON ARE ‘STEPPING UP MORE THAN EVER BEFORE’ AS SENIOR ROYALS, EXPERT SAYS
Royal historian Sarah Gristwood shared that following Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle stepping down as senior members of the British royal family, it’s to be expected that Middleton and her family will take on a more visible role.
“Harry and Meghan leaving the firm has left a void and I think the royal family were at risk of looking out of touch and dowdy without them,” Gristwood explained. “With Charles and Camilla over 70… and the queen scaling back, there is a serious vacuum when it comes to star appeal at the heart of the royal family. This is Kate’s moment to shine.”
“What has been reinforced throughout all of this is just how important the Cambridges are,” Gristwood continued. “There is a repositioning going on within the royal family and we are clearly seeing this. I think this is one of the most important stages in Kate’s life as a royal. As a young mother, Kate was allowed to raise her children away from the media spotlight but now we are seeing a shift.
“She’s working harder, being more visible and we are also seeing more of the Cambridge children. Kate has been given a platform to take on a more prominent role. She’s not just accompanying William to engagements, she is doing things independently and voicing new ideas.”
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Those close to Middleton also insisted the duchess will share new ideas for the royal family in the upcoming months. Aides are currently working on an autumn program for the Cambridges and Middleton is expected to resume her work involving early child care development.
Palace sources are coming forward after a report that the duchess is feeling overwhelmed with her workload.
“Kate is furious about the larger workload,” a source alleged to Tatler magazine. “Of course she’s smiling and depressing appropriately but she doesn’t want this. She feels exhausted and trapped. She’s working as hard as a top CEO, who has to be wheeled out all the time, without the benefits of boundaries and plenty of holidays.”
According to the outlet, Middleton took on more public engagements so that the family could save face in the wake of the negative press attention concerning the royal family. She reportedly took on 11 royal engagements in a month, three of which were in just one day.
Since rumors of Middleton’s irritation bubbled to the surface, a Kensington Palace spokesperson has shut them down.
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Meghan Markle (left) with Kate Middleton during happier times. (Getty)
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"This story contains a swathe of inaccuracies and false misrepresentations which were not put to Kensington Palace prior to publication," a palace spokesperson said in a statement obtained by Entertainment Tonight.
A spokesperson for Tatler then defended the article to ET.
"Tatler's Editor-in-Chief Richard Dennen stands behind the reporting of Anna Pasternak and her sources," the statement said. "Kensington Palace knew we were running the [story] months ago and we asked them to work together on it. The fact they are denying they ever knew is categorically false."
Fox News' Nate Day and Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report.
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