The 'extra privilege' Kate Middleton has earned thanks to her spotless royal record

Catherine, Princess of Wales has afforded herself the right to a few extra royal privileges, one source close to the Royal Family has suggested. It’s been quoted that Kate’s enduring popularity and lack of controversies means she has been given more breathing room from the press, and she isn’t scrutinised for missing special occasions or skipping the odd event.  

The Princess of Wales is, apparently, living proof that following the rules really does pay off.

While other royals throughout history have made a name for themselves by being rebellious or enjoying the odd scandal – whether that was Princess Margaret’s savage tongue and larger-than-life routines or Princess Diana’s bombshell interviews lifting the lid on her marriage with the now King Charles – Kate has always kept in line.

Loyal to her duties and rarely seen making a fuss, the Princess of Wales has even started to send subtle messages about her future role through her clothing, indicating that she is ready and willing to serve the country.

And it’s because of this that she’s earned the right to some extra downtime, according to one royal expert.

According to expert Eddie Coram James - as quoted in The Mirror - the Princess has been afforded more free time in recent months to spend with her children.

"The Princess of Wales has remained broadly controversy-free for years," he told the Daily Express.

"She's kept her head down, not made a fuss, worked hard and dedicated herself to good causes. Given the context, of course, the press has given her a free pass to the benefit of the doubt."

Eddie is perhaps touching on the trend in the media to speculate that there’s usually marital strife when royal couples – or any high-profile couples – start to spend more time alone.

If Kate had been known as more of a trouble-causer within the family, there might have been more of a backlash to the news that she wasn’t accompanying Prince William to Singapore for the Earthshot Prize this year, for example.

Mr Coram James explained, "When she says she wants to miss Earthshot to focus on parenting, people trust that that is probably the case."

He is referring to Kate choosing to stay home with her three children ahead of them starting a new school term – and perhaps a major new shift for Prince George after Prince William "won" an ongoing parenting dispute over his schooling.

There could be some validity to what the expert has said, especially contrasting to Kate's earlier dealings with the press.

When she first joined the royals, she was criticised more often for taking holidays and other matters, such as being dubbed "Waity Katie". However, she has more than proven her mettle for the role and the respect has followed.