Things are shifting within the Firm, and now, with the forever absence of Harry and Meghan, more work than ever is falling on the shoulders of William and Kate. The prior working dynamic of the Family as of early November 2019 is no more. One of the hardest-working Royals (save for his massive failures as a person) was Andrew; he’s out of the picture now. Harry and Meghan worked quite a bit, too, and now they’re gone. The Queen has stepped back from many of her patronages – though she’s still kicking ass and taking names – because of her age and the enormous amount of stress she’s been under with Philip’s declining health, Andrew’s issues, and, now, this with Harry and Meghan. This leaves the bulk of the weight to fall on Charles and Camilla, William and Kate, Anne, and Edward and Sophie, who just went on a visit to Sierra Leone this week and who I expect we’ll see a lot more of in the coming years, much like we saw the Wessexes join the Cambridges at Monday’s reception at Buckingham Palace.
Kate has undertaken at least one major engagement a day every day this week, and shows no signs of stopping. Monday night she dazzled in red – matching birthday girl Sophie – at a reception at Buckingham Palace celebrating the U.K.-Africa Investment Summit. This was the Cambridges’ first solo reception – a pretty big deal, and proof that William is stepping even deeper into his role as heir.
On Tuesday, Kate launched a new Royal Foundation initiative, 5 Big Questions, a national survey meant to assess the U.K.’s priorities when it comes to raising children. A big chunk of her work this week has been with children – long considered her passion. On Wednesday, Kate had another 5 Big Questions-related event, and then visited Send Prison to speak with ex-offenders. This is not her first visit to the prison – that was in 2015 – and she said that hearing ex-offenders’ stories about their difficult childhoods inspired her to fully invest herself in the work of childhood mental health and wellness.
Kate was so impressive this week that, while at the daycare visit at Cardiff Wednesday, the center’s manager asked her “You’ve got a job – when can you start?”
She won’t be able to take on another job, ma’am. Being Duchess of Cambridge is work well enough.