‘How fragile is the monarchy? As fragile as Kate, Princess Diana’s private secretary issues stern warning

The firm would be “reduced to a shadow of itself” without Kate Middleton, the former private secretary to Diana, Princess of Wales, has said.

Buckingham Palace revealed that King Charles, 75, was well enough to return to public duties just 11 weeks after announcing his cancer diagnosis.

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However, for Kate Middleton, who shocked the nation after revealing she was undergoing cancer treatment in March, her return to public duties has been less clear.

And according to Patrick Jephson, former private secretary to Diana, Princess of Wales, King Charles had no choice but to rethink his reduced monarchy.

Although it wasn’t long ago that the House of Windsor had the longest-reigning monarch in British history at its helm, without Kate, he believes it now looks quite vulnerable.

“Without Catherine, everything seems rather dull. The future of the monarchy is William and Catherine,” he says, speaking to Vanity Fair.

“And, as we know from any cursory study of the British royal family, it is the women who put on the show, who go out there and make things happen.

“So how fragile is the monarchy? Well, it’s as fragile as Catarina and, at the moment, we don’t know.”

Without Catherine, everything seems rather dull. The future of the monarchy is William and Catherine

patrick jeffsonformer private secretary to Diana, Princess of Wales

The princess made a triumphant return when she attended her first royal event since December at Trooping the Color on June 15.

She delighted fans by appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside the King, Queen, Prince William and their three children.

However, royal sources have insisted that despite her appearance, she will not yet return to a full schedule of public engagements while her preventative cancer treatment continues.

But she is expected to participate in more events this summer when she feels able and with the support and guidance of her doctors.

According to Jephson, the “intense public emotion” the mother of three received from the public following her appearance at Trooping the Color only highlighted her importance to the monarchy.

He goes on to say that without the Princess of Wales, the institution would be “reduced to a shadow of itself”.

Jephson added: “Given the Windsors’ drastically thinned ranks, she is by far the crown’s best hope.

“She combines duty and beauty with a piercing vulnerability second only to Prince William’s mother.”

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