Aussies ask: Is Kate Middleton losing palace support?

Australian magazine New Idea--of embargo-breaking fame--has written that Kate Middleton is losing the support of some palace courtiers. The highly placed officials are said to be losing faith that Kate Middleton is quite the perfect future queen-to-be the media has been lauding for so long. Their doubts have been inspired by the fact that Kate--for all her opportunities--is beginning to become something of an embarrassment so far as her CV goes. To all appearances it seems as though Kate has done little more than enjoy the perks of dating a Prince while taking on few of the responsibilities of an adult.

Meanwhile Kate herself is left waiting (and waiting, and waiting and waiting) which over the past year has done neither her nor William's reputation any good. As a private citizen it's no business of anyone what Kate does or does not do for a living. But the work ethic of a possible future-queen is something that is very interesting to many. Unfortunately, aside from a few half-hearted attempts at working Kate is mostly seen to be frequenting exclusive nightclubs, posh parties and jetting off to numerous sunny holidays; sometimes with William and sometimes without. All of it very likely being paid for by her parents. With recent rumors, real or imagined, suggesting that private-citizen Kate is being provided with royal protection officers at tax-payer expense the watching public is becoming more and more jaded and the support Kate has been receiving as the normal-young-lady-fit-to-be-a-queen is starting to wear a bit thin.

And now the courtiers are beginning to agree with the view. Said one unnamed former press officer for the Queen, "She [Kate] seems to be counting her chickens before they've hatched. She needs more on her CV than a knowledge of nightclubs." Meanwhile, underdog Chelsy Davy has apparently risen in the courtiers favor. Very possibly because she doesn't seem to be trying so hard to gain it!

In spite of the oft-made claims that an engagement is on the cards (or indeed has already secretly been made) no such official announcement has been made. And to many of those watching it's doesn't seem likely that one will be made anytime soon. William himself has said that he doesn't want to marry before he's 30 and that younger bother Harry is more likely to marry before him. William has also expressed concern that Kate has not been able to find an occupation for herself, no doubt concerned not just that Kate seems to do little other than wait for his next military leave but that it's making him look bad to keep her on a string for so long. Extremely stubborn to outside pressure, unlikely to risk making the same mistakes as his parents and busy with his military duties William is unlikely to marry Kate simply because of her failure to launch either as a Princess or a career woman.

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