How Kate Middleton Became the Future of the Monarchy

After best-laid plans gave way to her difficult cancer diagnosis, the Princess of Wales has reemerged to a whole new public admiration.

sporty college grad with a spectacular wardrobe and a tight-knit family, transformed into the Princess of Wales, a beloved mother with public-speaking chops and professional ambition. In the spring, after weeks of speculation regarding her whereabouts, the princess announced she’d been diagnosed with cancer. In an instant, the public perception of this royal figure changed once again.

During the final episode of DYNASTY: The Windsors’ Most Difficult Year, hosts Claire Howorth, Katie Nicholl, and Erin Vanderhoof look into the behind-the-scenes conversations leading up to her deeply personal announcement, and explain why the message was the most important speech of her royal career so far.

The princess’s diagnosis was a private tragedy for a family that has become far too familiar with them. But it was also a moment when the same qualities that made Catherine a good fit for Prince William in the first place became the ones that helped keep the British monarchy afloat. After a year of struggles, is the monarchy entering into a new, more resolute era? And what lessons will the Windsors take away from their challenging year?