The arrival of Pippa Middleton's daughter has been a "welcome distraction" for the Duchess of Cambridge, a royal expert has claimed.
Pippa and her husband James welcomed little Grace Elizabeth Jane last week, weighing 6lbs 7oz.
The new arrival is Kate's first niece, but she already has two nephews - Pippa's first child, Arthur, and Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's son, Archie.
Grace has been some happy news amid a horrible few weeks for Kate and her royal in-laws, during which Prince Philip was taken into hospital and Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made a series of shocking claims against them in their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl told OK! magazine that Kate is delighted by the happy family news.
She said: “Pippa’s baby joy has been a welcome distraction for Kate after a difficult few weeks.
“It’s really put a smile back on her face.”
The Middleton family have always been a huge support to Kate and William, offering a bit of normality away from life in the spotlight.
Katie describes them as the couple's "anchor", saying: "It’s a real sense of normality amid any chaos. William has always loved spending time with all the Middletons as it’s his escapism. He’s close to Carole and Michael and always insisted the royal family treat them well, which the Queen has done. She welcomed them with open arms."
The Sussexes' made a number of shocking claims about the royal family, including accusations of racism within the Firm, during their two-hour chat with Oprah.
Meghan also said that her sister-in-law made her cry in the lead up to the royal wedding.
However she said that Kate had apologised to her, telling Oprah: "It was a really hard week of the wedding, and she was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologised, and she brought me flowers and a note apologising and she did what I would do if I knew that I hurt someone. To just take accountability for it."
Pippa and James's daughter, Grace, was born at 4.22am and has been named after her grandmothers - Carole Elizabeth Middleton and Jane Matthews.
Pippa didn't officially announce her pregnancy, and Carole only confirmed it a few weeks before she gave birth.
Speaking about being a grandma in an interview with Good Housekeeping, she said: "I hope to see more of my family than I could last year, including, of course, my new grandchild.
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"I want to run down the hills, climb the trees, and go through the tunnel at the playground.
"As long as I am able to, that's what I'll be doing. I cook with them, I muck around dancing, we go on bike rides."
Confirming Grace's arrival, a source told Hello magazine :"Mother and baby are doing well.
"She's perfect, everyone is overjoyed at such a happy arrival."
James, 45, and Pippa, 37, already have a son, two-year-old Arthur.
The couple married in May 2017 in Englefield, with George and Charlotte acting as page boy and flower girl.
Harry was invited and Meghan joined him for the evening celebrations.
James is a hedgefund billionaire and the older brother of Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews.
The couple live in a £17million home in London, which has six bedrooms.
Grace is a new cousin for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
