During the pandemic, Kate Middleton was reportedly the queen's "rock."

This year, everyone has had to make major adjustments as they deal with the new reality of being in the midst of a global pandemic. For Queen Elizabeth II (opens in new tab), one of the biggest adjustments has been to step back from her busy schedule of royal events and prioritize her health. Fortunately, the queen was able to have Prince William and Kate Middleton (opens in new tab) pick up the slack. The same goes for Kate, who was the Queen's "rock" during the pandemic, according to royal sources.

"This is a strange time for everyone, including the senior royals, but Kate's support of her has made it much easier for the queen to adjust to her new life in Windsor," one royal source told Us Weekly (opens in new tab).

"Above all, it is the greatest comfort to the Queen to know that she can count on Kate and Prince William to handle matters in her absence."

Kate is now not only the Queen's rock (opens in new tab), but also the backbone of her own family, and Will knows it.

"He feels comfortable relying on Kate and calls her his better half," the source explains.

"Kate is a genius at stepping back, taking a deep breath, and handling any challenge calmly."

Despite the fact that the Queen's eldest son, Prince Charles (opens in new tab), is officially the next in line to the throne, insiders say that the Queen considers Will and Kate (opens in new tab) "the future of the monarchy" and "trusts [their] judgment implicitly."

"Kate has asked for advice on the speeches she plans to give, who she can rely on most in the palace, and protocol precautions," the source added.

"The queen is more than happy to impart her wisdom. She is proud to be Queen Catherine's trusted advisor on royal life."