Kate Middleton's rise sparks 'tensions' within royal family

An article in a magazine featuring Kate Middleton set the headline, 'Kate will be a queen who really listens' – by palace insiders.'

This cover story in The Sunday Times offers a glimpse into the style of the Princess of Wales and how she would rule as a queen in the future.

But some experts warned this piece could have been seen as a "slight against Camilla", as a piece in Newsweek notes, the feature story could have "made the Waleses look a little too eager to sell their advantages over Charles and Queen Camilla. In short, there is every chance the cover story went down like a lead balloon among the King and Queen's staff".

Amanda Platell, a columnist for The Daily Mail, asks, "Did those 'close long-term friends' of William and Kate have their approval to talk?"

"Did Kate and William, in fact, sanction this article in The Times Magazine about her intentions when she becomes Queen? We may never know, but even if they did not, it is surely ill-advised of their close circle to talk about her future in this way.

"Kate would never have intended any slight against Camilla, of course. But I can't be the only person to think that this emphasis on her queenly qualities is a slap in the face for the present Queen," Platell opines.

The cover story comes after a recent poll shows William and Kate are having an approval rating of 77% and 74%, respectively, making them the most popular royal members.