In her 12 years as a working member of the royal family, Princess Kate’s confidence has grown exponentially and she has learned to master the delicate art of soft power, a royal expert said. Next in line to be queen, Kate is one of the most popular—if not the most popular—working royal, and it’s because she is capable of “being strong and making her opinion count, but at the same time being charming and gentle,” The Mirror reports, comparing her to the beloved Queen Mother, who became the nation’s grandmother before her death in 2002 at 101 years old.
“People always used to describe the Queen Mother as ‘steel in a velvet glove,’” royal expert Jennie Bond told OK. “She was always charming, gentle, and much admired. But she was also the strength behind her husband, George VI, and at the Palace her opinion counted. I think Kate has some of those same qualities.”
