“It is a gilded cage – sometimes you do feel rather trapped” confided Kate to one of her close friends.

Royal life may seem like the best job in the world. Who wouldn’t want to be a Princess – complete with palaces, tiaras, free-flowing designer clothing and never having to worry about paying your heating bill again?
But being royal (and particularly marrying a royal) also comes with many potential pitfalls – which is why the Princess of Wales has a trusted inner circle, many that she has known since childhood, on whom she can call time and time again.

The most important attribute of being a royal best friend? Total trustworthiness and absolute discretion. Many have been ‘rewarded’ with roles as godparents to Kate’s three children and all are completely tight-lipped about their royal friendships.
When William and Harry were younger, they used to weed out any friends they believed were ‘leaking’ by telling them false stories.

Equally, Kate has a tight circle of family, school and university friends, plus trusted advisers, that help her navigate that gilded cage of being in the spotlight at all times – and never putting a foot wrong.

On a day-to-day basis, those on whom the Princess of Wales most relies are a loyal cadre of staff and experienced courtiers.

Probably the most important is Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the former army officer turned friend, who was Kate’s first Private Secretary and inducted her into royal life.

The debonair 62-year-old is always on call for advice, counsel and help in navigating both Kate’s charitable and royal work, long-term strategic aims (such as her work on Early Childhood) and public image.

His importance was underlined when he was asked to be George’s godfather and was of invaluable assistance earlier this year helping the young Prince prepare for his role as an official page at his grandfather’s Coronation.

Kate also relies on a crack team of stylish women to help her maintain a chic, yet appropriate, wardrobe. Chief amongst them is her PA (in times gone by she would have been a lady-in-waiting) Natasha Archer who puts together and coordinates all of Kate’s ‘looks’ including such showstoppers as her Alessandra Rich Ascot polka dots or edgy Alexander McQueen at the Baftas earlier this year. Her go-to designers are Sarah Burton at McQueen (who recently announced she was leaving and I predict Kate will go with her as the two women have a firm friendship) and Jenny Packham, whose dramatic evening gowns she often chooses for black-tie events.

Domestically, Kate is able to balance a busy working life with doing the school run through the calm efficiency of nanny Maria Borrallo and housekeeper Antonella Fresolone. Although Prince Louis, 5, is now at full-time school (he’s just started Year 1 at Berkshire prep Lambrook, alongside sister Charlotte, 8, and George, 10), Kate and William kept on Maria, whom they’d hired when George was just nine months old.

By all accounts Maria is totally devoted to the three Wales children and having a third pair of hands allows them to do all their various sporting activities such as swimming, football and rugby. 

Kate has maintained a close circle of friends ever since her days at Marlborough College, and they can often be seen in the royal party at Ascot or attending church in Sandringham on the Princess’s birthday weekend party in January.

Emilia Jardine-Paterson is often dubbed Kate’s ‘best friend’ and the pair have been tight since meeting at age 13. Emilia d’Erlanger was part of the Gloucestershire ‘Glosse Posse’ who hung around with Prince William at Highgrove – and is thought to have introduced him to a young Kate Middleton at a house party before they started dating at St Andrews University.

After Kate’s brief split from William in 2007, she whisked lovelorn Kate to Ibiza and even met her husband David through the couple as he was at Eton with William. An interior designer, she has redecorated Anmer Hall and Kensington Palace, and is thought to have helped re-style the Wales’s Windsor home Adelaide Cottage. She is also Prince George’s godmother.

Another Marlborough school friend is Hannah Gillingham (now Carter), who was an invaluable friend to Kate when she was living full-time in Norfolk at Anmer Hall. She is married to the brother of another Kate confidante Sophie Snuggs (nee Carter) who is a family friend of the Middeltons. The entire clan attended her wedding with Prince George and Princess Charlotte stealing the show as page boy and flower girl.

The close friends go way back (they often ski together) and have been pictured at various events together, from Wimbledon to Christmas Day church services in Norfolk. Sophie is Charlotte’s godmother and was also a guest at Pippa Middleton’s wedding and Prince Harry and Meghan’s royal nuptials.

School friend Trini Foyle has also known Kate since her Marlborough days, with the two both deciding to study in Scotland for university (Trini at Edinburgh and Kate at St Andrews).

Trini had son Alexander at the same time as Kate had George, and the two mums often had playdates in Kensington Gardens.
Kate couldn’t exactly turn up at her local NCT group, so had to put together her own ‘new mums network’ of which Trini was an integral part.

James and Laura Meade are also part of the Wales’s close friendship group – invited to shooting parties, weekend stays and holidays abroad. James was at university with William and Kate, often ‘looked after’ Kate while she was out and about in London post-university and was one of William’s best men at their 2011 wedding. James married Lady Marsham who quickly became one of Kate’s besties, and is Prince Louis’s godmother, while James is Princess Charlotte’s godfather.

Finally, two of Kate’s most important and trusted friends are her mother Carole and sister Pippa. One of the reasons Kate and William moved to Windsor was to be closer to Carole, 68 and father Michael, 74. The redoubtable Mrs Middleton is a hands-on granny who can often be seen with Louis near her Bucklebury home and Kate knows she can be trusted with her deepest fears and secrets.

Sister Pippa, 40, also lives nearby with her three young children, as does their brother James whose wife Alizee is expecting their first child.

The Middeltons have always been close – their tight-knit family welcomed William as one of their own and Kate has spoken often of her happy childhood.

That grounding and support base has proven critical to helping the Princess of Wales survive the often turbulent waters of royal life.