Kate Middleton Has Reportedly Been the Queen's "Rock" During the Pandemic

• Everyone has had to adjust in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, including Queen Elizabeth II.
• The long-reigning, 94-year-old monarch has had to take a step back from her usually-busy calendar of royal engagements to prioritize her health during this time.
• Royal insiders say the Queen has gotten through the stressful situation by relying her granddaughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, who has been her "rock" during the pandemic.

This year, we've all had to make major adjustments as we deal with the new reality of life during a global pandemic. For Queen Elizabeth II, one of the biggest adjustments has been taking a step back from her busy schedule of royal engagements to prioritize her health. Luckily, she's been able to count on Prince William and Kate Middleton to pick up the slack. And, according to royal insiders, that goes double for Kate, who has become the Queen's "rock" during the pandemic.

"These are strange times for everyone, senior royals included, and having Kate as her rock has made it so much easier for the queen to adapt to her new life at Windsor," a royal source told Us Weekly. "More than anything, knowing she can rely on Kate and Prince William to handle matters in her absence is the greatest comfort she could ask for."

Kate isn't just the Queen's rock right now—she's also the backbone of her own family, and Will knows it.

"He’s relieved to have Kate to depend on and refers to her as his better half," the source explained. "Their approach to everything is similar—they embody that ‘Keep calm and carry on’ mentality, choosing to focus on positives when things get tough....Kate’s a genius at stepping back, breathing deeply and then approaching any difficulty with a level head."

Even though the Queen's oldest son, Prince Charles, is officially next in line to take the throne, insiders say that she considers Will and Kate "the future of the monarchy" and that she "trusts [their] judgment implicitly."

"Kate asks for advice about speeches she’s due to make, whom she can depend on most within the palace and protocol dos and don’ts," the source added. "The queen’s more than happy to impart her wisdom—she’s proud to be Catherine’s go-to adviser about royal life."