The Princess of Wales has quickly climbed the ranks to become one of the most popular members of the Royal Family thanks to her sense of humour and the obvious respect she has for her role. And, even during her treatment for cancer, has shown nothing but strength and resolve.

The once-quiet and reserved Kate has been replaced by an assured, playful – and occasionally forceful – figure, commanding as much respect from the public as King Charles or Prince William could ever hope for.

It is this trust that the King has for his “darling daughter-in-law” that reportedly sees her regularly asked for her opinion thanks to her relatability.

The Princess of Wales is incredibly close with her father-in-law -Credit:Getty Images

On Kate’s close position within the family, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively told OK!: “I think you have to be quite tough to survive – and thrive – in the Royal Family. It must be easy to be rather intimidated by the hierarchical system of the Palace.

“But Catherine has the advantage of knowing that she will one day be the most senior woman in the family, and indeed in the land. And so she has a right to make her views known about how the institution of monarchy is going to proceed in the years and decades to come.

“She seems to be a woman with a great deal of common sense, and I suspect that she applies that common sense to the dilemmas and difficulties which arise.”

The King and the Princess of Wales are incredibly close -Credit:2024 Karwai Tang

While the Princess’ bond with her father-in-law is particularly special, there is another very senior member of the Royal Family with whom she shares a unique friendship.

“I think Queen Camilla and Catherine have drawn strength and inspiration from one another: two women in this extraordinary situation in life, both with the same bizarre destiny,” Jennie says.

“At the moment I think it is Camilla who is the lynchpin of the monarchy. And with the cancer that has afflicted both Charles and Catherine, it has fallen to Camilla to keep the show on the road. And I think she has gained enormously in confidence and her character and wicked sense of humour now shine through more than ever.

“I don’t really think Catherine showed her the way on this, but I think there is a mutual respect about how they are both helping to make the monarchy more relatable.”

The two royal women are very close -Credit:2022 Samir Hussein

Kate certainly began her royal journey in Prince William’s shadow, and was shy at times. But as a mother-of-three and charity figurehead, her confidence has grown and she is now looked upon as a royal matriarch for the modern age.

This expertly-manoeuvred rise is something which is richly deserved, according to Jennie, as she compared the way Kate uses her “soft power” to that of her husband’s great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

Jennie previously explained to OK!: “People always used to describe the Queen Mother as ‘steel in a velvet glove’. She was always charming, gentle and much admired. But, she was also the strength behind her husband, George Vl, and at the Palace her opinion counted. I think Kate has some of those same qualities.

The Queen Mother is often referred to as “steel in a velvet glove” -Credit:Getty Images

“She has learned the craft of being royal over a number of years and earned her place as a senior member of the family. Gradually, she has also earned the respect of the public and, I believe, of the rest of the family. We look at her now not just as William’s wife, but as our future Queen.”

There have been a number of times that the Princess of Wales’ quiet determination to protect the Royal Family’s reputation have surfaced.

Following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, it was claimed that Kate had a key role to play in the famous “recollections may vary” statement that was issued by Buckingham Palace.

The Princess of Wales is admired around the world for the respect she has for her role -Credit:AFP via Getty Images

According to the book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind The Crown by Valentine Low, the first draft of the Buckingham Palace statement did not include the bombshell “recollections” phrase.

In the book, Low quotes one source who said, “It had a much milder version. The debate was, do you rise entirely above it and offer the olive branch of [Harry and Meghan being] ‘much loved members of the family’? Or is there some moment when you have to intervene and offer a view?”

Both Prince William and Kate are said to have wanted the statement “toughened up”. The source added, “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.” Once the phrase was added, it was the princess who, according to another source, insisted it remain.