Kate Middleton is quickly becoming one of the most influential members of the Royal Family, both inside and outside of it, and the latest edition of Valentine Low’s controversial book ‘Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown’ is the definitive proof of it. According to the author, Kate is the one who advocated for changing the Royal Family’s statement in answer to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey.
In 2021, CBS aired the television special ‘Oprah with Meghan and Harry’ which caused a stir in the United Kingdom due to the couple’s shocking declarations about living with the Royal Family and the racist remarks about their son, Prince Archie, as there were concerns and conversations about how dark his skin tone was going to be.
As soon as those declarations were made public, Buckingham Palace released a 61-word statement to address the accusations:
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
Despite this, Low revealed in her book that an anonymous source told her that the first draft of the Royal Family’s statement was considerably different and it was Kate, with the help of Prince William, who pushed for the more drastic version using the phrase “some recollections may vary” as “Kate and Prince William wanted it toughened up. They were both of one mind that we needed something that said that the institution did not accept a lot of what had been said.”
On top of that, another source commented on the Princess of Wales’ key role in the way this situation was handled and that shows her power inside the Royal Family: “History will judge this statement and unless this phrase or a phrase like it is included, everything that they have said will be taken as true.”
As a result, it is clear that Kate Middleton’s influence in royalty is growing stronger and, even if she is being subtle about it, she is already thinking about setting the bases for when she eventually replaces Queen Camilla and becomes the Queen of the United Kingdom.
