Kate Middleton grieves loss of close friend and confidante

We send our condolences

Kate Middleton has had some sad news, as her antenatal guru has tragically passed away, aged 74 years old.

The 40-year-old royal turned to Christine Hill for the first time when she was expecting her first child Prince George with Prince William.

Christine's passing was reported in the Daily Mail's Eden Confidential column, with a message from a member of Christine's family.

It read: "She will be achingly missed.

"Her feisty, amusing, straightforward demeanour won her many friends."

Kate and her 40-year-old husband attended antenatal classes run by Christine ahead of the arrival of their first baby.

The couple would attend discreet classes held at Christine's home in West London.

It was reported the Duchess of Cambridge repeatedly visited the expert twice prior to giving birth to George, while the Duke of Cambridge joined her on one of the sessions.

It has also been reported William was keen to quiz Christine on how to fit a baby seat into a car.

Kate and William have gone on to have two more children, including Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, all were born at the Lindo Wing at London's St. Mary's hospital.

Kate and William have yet to comment on Christine's passing.

Meanwhile, Duchess Catherine has been hailed as one of the most important figures in the royal family, and the one to keep the House of Windsor together.

Royal author, Tina Brown, believes the royal family would “crumble” without the Duchess of Cambridge, although there were doubts on how she would fair before she joined the fold.

Speaking previously to The Washington Post, Tina – who is the author of The Palace Papers: Inside The House Of Windsor – The Truth And The Turmoil, said: “In 2011, the question mark over Kate Middleton was whether a girl of such unexalted origins could successfully evolve into a future Queen.

“Now the only question is how the House of Windsor could survive without her.

“[The Royal Family] would, I think, crumble at the moment without her because she’s the only modern, beautiful woman who’s well-educated, substantial in herself, who’s actually wanting to commit herself to the rigours of this institution. Not many young women could do that.

“If for any reason, she thought like Meghan, ‘I’m out of here, I can do much better,’ it would be a disaster."