Kate Middleton Is Responsible for the Royal Family's Future, Insider Says

Kate Middleton just turned 40, and experts agree that she's at the top of her game. She's gained in confidence, taken her time to carefully select the causes she champions, and is also widely beloved by the public and an elegant figurehead for the Firm.

Thanks to these attributes, royal insider Patrick Jephson—who previously worked for Princess Diana—believes that the Duchess of Cambridge is the royal family's single best asset right now.

"As the Prince Andrew scandal shows, the monarchy is in desperate need of reassuringly conventional royal performers," Jephson tells Page Six. "Catherine is just what these troubled royal times need—it’s no exaggeration that the Windsors’ future lies in her hands.

"Monarchy is the ultimate long game … because unlike business, politics or media stardom, royalty is for life and its time horizons are infinite. Catherine has mastered that long game and that’s a very significant achievement."

For royal author Bethan Holt, it's no coincidence that the Cambridges are so often in the limelight these days. "Charles and Camilla don’t seem to have the global pull and there seems to be this absolute campaign to make William and Kate the family’s global stars," Holt explains. "There seems to be a whole royal family operation to elevate the Cambridges."

It makes sense: Despite the cheating rumors that turned some royal fans against Prince William, he and his wife are still public favorites these days. More junior royals such as Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice are also well liked, but the Cambridges are by far the most popular among more senior family members—as future king and queen.

A lot of people don't love the fact that Prince Charles cheated on Princess Diana with his now-wife Camilla Parker-Bowles. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have many supporters, but also many dissenters, following their departure from royal life. And Prince Andrew was accused of sexual abuse.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on the other hand, are often seen as moral, friendly, approachable, and up with the times. Fit for the crown, as it were.