Kate Middleton's friends rally around her as Princess facing 'very sad situation'

Princess Catherine's friends have rallied around the royal as she has been dealing with a "very sad situation" since the start of 2023.

Prince Harry launched several attacks on his sister-in-law in his bombshell autobiography Spare.

Kate and her husband Prince William have not responded to the multiple digs fired at them by Prince Harry, instead focusing on their work for the Royal Family.

A family friend of Kate's said the Princess was "no shrinking violet".

Kate and Prince William have not responded to Prince Harry's attacks
Ben Birchall

They continued: "She is a tough woman. It is wonderful that William has Kate by his side to rely on, as she is a real stalwart through this."

Another friend told PEOPLE: "So much has been said that at this stage, I think they just want to move on.

"The whole situation is very sad, but it's business as usual, and she's getting on with the job because that's what she does."

Kate has recently boosted her PR team with a couple of senior appointments and a source told the Telegraph that these moves are part of the Princesses' plan to redefine herself.

The royal insider said: “You can often see the ambitions of individual members of the Royal family by the hires that they make.

“When Prince William hired Simon Case [now the Cabinet Secretary] to be his private secretary in 2018 that showed a new maturity of outlook in his ambitions, as Case was a more heavyweight appointment than what had gone before.

“What the Princess of Wales is doing is a very clear sign that she is redefining herself now that she has this new role.

Kate recently launched the 'Shaping US' campaign which was a culmination of her life's work in early childhood studies
Daniel Leal

"The role of heir, or wife of the heir, brings opportunities and also responsibilities as you represent the monarchy not only around the country but also around the world.

"She has a greater platform now, so she needs the right team to deliver for her.”

The Princess of Wales, recently launched 'Shaping Us' a culmination of her life's work on research on the impact of early childhood.

On Thursday, Kate and Prince William carried out their first engagement in Cornwall since becoming the Duke and Duchess of the region.