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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to step back from the Royal Family in January. Meghan and Harry have since moved to North America in pursuit of financial freedom. Around the same time, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, retired from royal duties “for the foreseeable future” following his alleged friendship with the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

Ever since then, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have been at the helm of the Royal Family.

Royal commentator Duncan Larcombe said the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will benefit from a more streamlined monarchy, as it means they will be able to put their focus on the “important” royal work.

Mr Larcombe suggested Meghan and Harry’s decision to pack up and move to LA may have given Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William “space to focus on the job they have got to do”.

He said: “Despite all the noise around Harry and Meghan, the realist is William and Kate have got a pretty important job to do.

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“This is giving them space, and to some extent, the Prince Andrew ongoing Epstein saga is giving William and Kate the space to focus on the job they’ve got to do.

“And I think at the moment, they are doing very well.”

Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have been at the forefront of the Royal Family’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

They have continued to operate behind closed doors by conducting virtual engagements via video call.

At the same time, they have been homeschooling their three children, Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 5, and Prince Louis, 1, at their Norfolk country home, Anmer Hall.

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In May, the couple held a video call with volunteers from mental health texting service Shout, and marked Canada Day on July 1 with a video call to healthcare workers at the Surrey Memorial Hospital, in British Columbia.

And as the lockdown restrictions continue to be relaxed, the duo has slowly started returning to public appearances and engagements.

Prince William was recently shown drinking a pint to celebrate the reopening of pubs in England during a visit to his local in Norfolk.

He also visited Smiths the Bakers in King’s Lynn, where he was gifted a birthday cake ahead of his 38th birthday on June 21.

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While the Prince has been busy, the Duchess of Cambridge has participated in her fair share of engagements.

The mum-of-three has taken a trip to family-run Fakenham Garden Centre in June, and helped to pot plants and herbs during a visit to The Nook in Framlingham Earl, Norfolk, just a week later.

Most recently, the couple visited the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn as part of the NHS birthday celebrations on July 5 in Norfolk.

Speaking to Australian website 9Honey, Royal expert Katie Nicholl said the Cambridges’ position had been “significant” within the pandemic.

She added the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were the “best placed” members of the Royal Family to be “pillars of support” for the nation throughout the difficult time.

Ms Nicholl said: “We’re seeing William step up into that statesman role.”

Unlike the Queen and Prince Charles, the young royals are not in the vulnerable category for the virus.

Ms Nicholl added: “Obviously Kate and William aren’t in the vulnerable sector, therefore they are the best placed, or among the best placed, of the Royal Family to be able to help at the moment.”

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