Kate Middleton has reportedly been the "glue" of the royal family during a tough year for them, with the death of Prince Philip, claims about Prince Andrew, and the widening rift between her and Prince Harry. (opens in new tab) At Prince Philip's funeral, she appeared to play peacemaker (opens in new tab) between Prince Harry and Prince William, whose relationship has been strained since Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals. According to royal expert Camilla Tominey (opens in new tab), writing for The Telegraph, Kate is keen to repair the relationship between the Sussex and Cambridge families, in part because Archie and his sister want their children, Princes George and Louis and Sher He said it was so that they could get along with Princess Lott.

Toney writes:" The Duchess, who grew up close with her own siblings, 37-year-old Pippa and 34-year-old James, was apparently keen to befriend 2-year-old Archie and his cousins for the sake of their relationship, even after the interview was broadcast to millions of viewers worldwide." One insider added, "Her natural instinct is to smooth things over."

Kate was famously close to her own family and, along with William, was very close to Prince Harry before he left the royal family and moved to California. (Harry is still considered close to his own cousins, especially Princess Eugenie.) Kate is widely believed to be the family's peacemaker, and commentators have pointed out that Kate, the would-be queen, succeeded Prince Philip. A few weeks after Harry's revealing interview with Oprah in which he said his brother William was "trapped," photos suggest that it was Kate who first spoke to Prince Harry at his grandfather's funeral (opens in new tab).

"My father and brother are trapped. They can't leave. I have great sympathy for that," Harry said in an interview.

"Where Harry and William stand right now," while the two were seen talking at Philip's funeral, Harry's final comment off the record to Oprah was, "At the moment, the relationship is 'space'. I love William with all my heart. We've been through hell and back together and we have common experiences.