How Future Queen Kate Middleton Is a Modern Matriarch: 'She Guides the Family'

JONATHAN BRADY/POOL/AFP via Getty Prince George, Kate Middleton, Prince Louis, Prince William and Princess Charlotte

Kate Middleton is bringing a fresh perspective to her new position as the Princess of Wales.

It's been a busy few weeks for the royal and her family, who continue to grieve Queen Elizabeth while settling into their new home, new school and even brighter spotlight. Princess Kate and her husband Prince William, both 40, relocated with their three children — Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis — from London to Windsor at the end of the summer. On the kids' first day at the Lambrook School, Queen Elizabeth died, triggering global mourning and transition within the line of succession.

In this week's PEOPLE cover story, a source close to the family acknowledges it has been a stressful time, especially for Kate, the first Princess of Wales since William's mother Princess Diana held the title.

As William steps up to the elevated responsibilities that come with his new standing, like managing the $1.3 billion Duchy of Cornwall and helping plan King Charles' May coronation, the heir to the throne prepares for the future with Kate by his side.

"She is a matriarch. Not in the sense of an older woman in a twin set and pearls, but she guides the family and advises [William] when he wants it," says Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Prince William's former private secretary.

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King Charles III bestowed the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales to Prince William and his wife the day after the Queen's death, and Kate's popularity has only soared. However, the newly minted princess now faces inevitable comparisons with Diana, the best-loved royal in modern history.

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Like the woman whose iconic sapphire engagement ring she wears every day, the new Princess of Wales has undertaken ambitious projects throughout the United Kingdom on child development, mental health and family well-being. As for Diana's legacy, palace sources say that Princess Kate "appreciates the history associated with this role but will understandably want to look to the future as she creates her own path."

Adds Lowther-Pinkerton: "She will do so with humility and by acknowledging the past but in her own way."

Chris Jackson/Getty; Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Kate Middleton; Princess Diana

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One way she's bucking royal tradition is by keeping George at home rather than boarding school. With Lambrook a 15-minute drive from their new home at Adelaide Cottage, Kate and William try to do the school drop-off and pickup most days.

Although insiders say the Wales family will eventually live in the 1,000-year-old Windsor Castle itself, for now, cottage life is much like it is at their country retreat Amner Hall in Norfolk, where the kids and their friends are in and out of the swimming pool. George will flop onto the sofa beside his father, while Charlotte makes a beeline for familiar guests.

Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles on the Buckingham Palace balcony on June 5.

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Theirs is a life of a "modern royal family doing normal things," as one close family friend puts it.