Sometimes, I still think about that 2020 Tatler cover story about Princess Kate and I chuckle to myself. From what I gather, Kensington Palace’s minions went to Tatler and tried to arrange a big embiggening cover story about how Kate is all things to all people: a perfect mother, a top CEO, a harried woman who needs endless vacations, a childish mess who runs home to mummy all the time, a woman who looks the other way when her husband bangs her friends. Yeah, Tatler put their own spin on it and the results were hilariously shady. So much so that KP basically spent months waging war with Tatler and eventually got Tatler to take down the bulk of the story. Since then, there has been an uneasy peace between KP and Tatler, and I get the impression that Kate is still licking her wounds from how badly that ricocheted. So it’s funny that Tatler did a (month-late) story about Will & Kate’s “first year” as Prince and Princess of Wales: “One year on: how the Prince and Princess of Wales are subtly sowing the seeds of change to bring the royal family into a vibrant new age.” Some highlights:

A precursor to the Peg Era: The inheritance of monarchical titles, of course, should come as no surprise, but, after a lifetime of status quo, this new royal shake up feels like the beginning of not just Charles’s reign, but William’s. The heir to the throne assumed this title when his father was in his 74th year and – God Save The King not withstanding – the Carolean age can never reach the longevity of the Elizabethan. The first year of our new Prince and Princess of Wales has been, therefore, a precursor of sorts for what kind of King and Queen William and Kate may be.

Kate’s commanding funeral presence: Their tenure began, much like the King’s, under the shadow of immense familial and nationwide grief. William led the Queen’s grandchildren in formal funereal rites and Kate proved a steely, regal presence throughout. Whilst Camilla, always more loving partner than would-be Queen, appeared happy to fulfil the role of Charles’s emotional balustrade, it was the new Princess of Wales who stood out for her commanding presence. There was a streak of leadership to her stature, a sense of confidence that felt somewhat different to what we had seen before. The royal couple would take this fresh poise to the coronation where, decked out in their ceremonial finery, there was another gearshift moment. They were noticeably ‘Wills & Kate’ no more, but future monarchs of Great Britain instead.

Center stage: The couple have been thrust more than ever before onto central stage, filling their new roles but also the void left by now non-working royals Prince Andrew and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Their confidence in this new prominence has been noteworthy: the Princess of Wales has taken on more solo projects than ever before, the first of which was a seminal meeting with the First Lady of Ukraine in September of last year, and the Prince of Wales was a self-assured presence on stage at the coronation concert in May.

Katie Keen is busier than ever: The Princess of Wales has been busier than ever, undertaking countless solo engagements, spearheading more action in her early years work, her advocacy for mental health and sport and wellbeing.

A relatable country family: For there has been much more of this from the Wales family this year: just as they have become more rarefied they have also, strangely, become more accessible. Their social media presence bears the hallmarks of this new duality. There are frequent cheery straight-to-camera videos as well as slick video montages of their trips and events. They are a social media savvy pair, aware of their online presence and thus shrewd curators of their image. The result is that they appear both approachable and down to earth, behaving as both a relatable country family and regal heads of state.

Laser focused: They are a couple determined to do things their way. Sources close to them have described them as ‘laser focused’ and possessing a very clear vision of how they wish to operate, both in their current roles and as future monarchs. As part of this – in a break with royal tradition-they have recently advertised for a CEO to run their household, someone who must be, according to the advertisement, ‘emotionally intelligent’ with a ‘low ego’ and a ‘strong self-awareness and understanding of their impact on others’.

Antithesis of the Sussexes? William and Kate may seem from the outset the antithesis to the Sussexes, being a couple who, by contrast, toe the line and fall into step with all facets of royal duty, but they are in many ways a Trojan horse duo. They have a pronounced desire for the monarchy to evolve and, in many ways, this aligns them with the King himself, who has long been an outspoken advocate for his passions; from the environment to the streamlining of the monarchy. William and Kate, like Charles, are unafraid to allow a gradual evolution from within; to subtly sow the seeds of change and bring the royal family – from the way it operates to the ideas it engages with – into a new age. From the year we have seen so far, it seems they are already off to a great start.

[From Tatler]

It feels like Kensington Palace has been trying to make “Kate is working more” into a thing for four years, and it hasn’t stuck – if you have to keep reminding people that no, really, she’s doing more than she used to, your PR has already failed. Also, the mention of “countless solo engagements” is part of the soft-launch of the Wales’ separation. Oh, and “Trojan horse duo” is kind of amazingly accurate – Will and Kate present themselves as a by-the-books, charisma-free extension of the grand Windsor tradition, but really, they’re going to usher in the end of the British monarchy.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.