Kate Middleton Counselling

Kate Middleton Counselling: Kate Middleton is receiving ‘counselling’ sessions to prepare her for royal life and help her cope with a husband who must put crown and country before his wife, sources have told the Mail.

Prince William’s fiancee is also understood to be receiving lessons in etiquette and protocol in the complex and archaic workings of the Royal Family.

As part of carefully-laid plans initiated by Prince William, she will have 'training sessions' to avoid the depression and isolation felt by Princess Diana, who felt abandoned and unloved by Charles within months of their wedding.

Once William leaves the RAF and takes up full-time royal duties, he and Kate are likely to spend a lot of time apart, and their every move will be in the public spotlight.

A royal insider who has been close to the Royal Family for more than 20 years said: ‘Kate is so nervous she is having counselling organised by the Royal Family to help her, not just in etiquette but in the coping process of William having something else much more important than his future wife. This is his country and his loyalty to it, as well as his need to help disadvantaged people across the globe.

‘Kate, as a new and vulnerable bride, is deemed to need a lot of help with that. The royals are desperate not to have another downward spiral of a marriage and they feel Kate has very vulnerable and soft spots. Apparently she was destroyed when William broke up with her (in 2007).'

William's aunt the Countess of Wessex has reportedly volunteered to be Kate’s personal mentor in the stressful run-up to the royal wedding.

The prince is said to have asked Sophie, the wife of Prince Edward, ahead of the engagement whether Kate could visit her Surrey home Bagshot Park for an informal chat.

Sophie, a 45-year-old former PR guru and firm favourite of the Queen, will help Kate to avoid some of the pitfalls she suffered, such as being caught in a newspaper sting making disparaging statements about the Royal Family.

The women both come from ‘common’, middle-class backgrounds - Sophie Rhys-Jones’s father Christopher is a retired businessman - and dated their partners for eight years before marriage.

A senior royal aide said: ‘There are all sorts of things (Catherine) wants to find out about. She’s very familiar with Prince William’s world - they have been going for a long time - but there are also areas that are something of an unknown. Catherine’s first port of call is Prince William’s household, including (private secretary) Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, but all the staff will help out.’

A St James’s Palace spokesman said: ‘Prince William’s private office will organise a series of meetings with key individuals both before and after marriage.’