Just over a year on from receiving her shock cancer diagnosis, Kate Middleton is very much back on the public stage and making her mark when it comes to tirelessly showing up for the causes she truly believes in.

The ‘People’s Princess’ may have been a moniker she adopted from her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, but there is no doubt to her fans that the shoe certainly fits. In fact, earlier this year, a British newspaper published a list of the staggering 51 times that Kate has been compared to Diana – from similar outfits to their mutual mothering and their charitable endeavours, right down to the minutiae of their interactions with the public.

Again, last week, Kate, 43, was praised for ‘paying tribute’ to Diana when she wore a nautical-style outfit to a visit to HMS Glasgow – a sartorial style also favoured by Diana, who wore a similar outfit over three decades ago in 1993.

However, just hours later, it was revealed that Palace officials are now on a mission to turn the tables for Kate, with Royal commentator Gareth Russell claiming that Kensington Palace are aiming to ‘reset the balance’ to focus less on her appearance and more on her work for the worthy causes she champions.

Gareth said, ‘We’ll see the royal households try to create more of a balance between pieces written about what they’re wearing versus what they’re doing. And I think that’s probably what they’re attempting to do – reset the balance.’

And now a source tells us that this latest move by palace officials has come as a huge relief to Kate, who hopes to gather traction for her own passions, rather than living in the shadow of Diana, who devastatingly died aged just 36.

The insider says, ‘Kate has always taken a lot of pride in her appearance, and she’s certainly not ungrateful for the comparisons to Diana, but it also weighs heavily on her because it feels as though she can’t put a foot wrong.

‘Every outfit, every hairstyle, every smile is scrutinised, and that kind of constant pressure is exhausting. She wishes there was more attention on the initiatives she and William are championing, instead of just what dress she’s wearing or how she’s done her hair.’

There’s no doubt that continuing Diana’s sensational legacy is a huge weight to bear for a young mother-of-three who has undergone a huge health battle and continues to live her life on the world stage.

And while Prince Harry has continued to draw comparisons between his wife Meghan Markle and his mother, who tragically died in a car crash in 1997, it has always been Kate who has carried the gauntlet of such a huge responsibility – years before she inherited the official title in 2022.

Many royal commentators and authors have suggested that while Kate would have loved Diana to have been a part of her life, having died years before she met Prince William at St. Andrews University, she had always been aware of the huge duty she would one day have to fulfil.

Royal author Robert Jobson previously explained, ‘She knew she’d inevitably be compared with Diana, whose untimely death had provoked such a tsunami of anger and grief. And she was right. The similarities and differences between the two women were dissected ad infinitum and even discussed in the royal household.’

Now the source adds, ‘Kate has played a huge role in numerous charitable activities through the Royal Foundation with a strong emphasis on childhood development and mental health and art but also issues related to addiction and helping children going through changes in the family like divorce or the death of a family member.

‘These are her passions. If there’s anything she can do to help, Kate is on it. She’s rebounded since her recent health setback and is more committed than ever to her work.’

Following six months of chemotherapy last year, the source says the pressure on Kate to look good whilst juggling her duties as a future Queen can feel like ‘too much pressure’ and leave her feeling ‘hollow at times’.

They add, ‘When there is so much attention placed on Kate’s looks, dress and even her mannerisms, it tends to defeat the purpose. So much fuss is made about everything she says and does that it puts more pressure on Kate to be perfect.’

Poignantly, Diana also underwent a huge personal shift following her divorce from King Charles – a time in her life that saw her reinvent herself and further throw her all into the causes she believed in.

The curator of the 2017 Kensington Palace exhibition, ‘Diana: Her Fashion Story’, Eleri Lynn said of the time, ‘She said she wanted to be a work-horse, not a clothes-horse and simplified her look in order to focus the press attention on her work not her wardrobe.’

In the months before her death, Diana donated 79 of her extravagant dresses for auction at Christie’s in New York, raising £3.4 million, which she donated to cancer and HIV charities.

And now the source says that Kate is hoping the public will help her to honour Diana in the right way.

‘It’s true that Kate will often wear jewellery or similarly styled suits as a tribute to her late mother-in-law, Diana’ they tell us.

‘But the point isn’t the colours, hat or earrings – it’s that Diana was intent on using her influence to benefit the lives of people going through hard times and that’s what Kate is trying to do. There has been no better forbearer than Diana.

‘Kate is very intelligent and deeply involved behind the scenes, and she hopes that side of her will eventually get the recognition it deserves. She wants the focus to be on her contributions and not just how she looks.’

Kate and William are also facing an uncertain future as the country looks to them for reassurance amid uncertain times while the monarchy faces their toughest period to date following years of public scandal.

And the source says that, now more than ever, the public must support Kate.

The insider warns, ‘She’s facing pressure as the future queen to save the monarchy in the wake of Harry and Meghan’s treachery and Andrew’s endless scandals. Plus many believe Charles is ailing, and Camilla is preoccupied taking care of him.

‘Some people seem to think Kate is superhuman, but that’s a tall order. She’s not an icon or a decorative inanimate object. She’s not one to stir up controversy but there are times when she must wish people would see her as she really is – a human being, a parent, a wife, a tireless worker, and see beyond this statuesque figure and beautiful outfits.’