Kate Middleton has suddenly gone off the spotlight and various speculations have been doing the rounds trying to justify the Duchess of Cambridge's absence. But the latest reports suggest that it's all to ensure the Duchess' privacy, courtesy the new model of royalty —"Middleton Rules".

According to Daily Mail, the term "Middleton Rules" emerged after the wedding of Kate and Prince William and it is apparently said to administer every aspect of life at the couple's Norfolk home, where the royal couple, due to security reasons, plans to raise Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The website reported that after Prince William and Kate Middleton got engaged, the Prince came up with an initiative; through an unwritten agreement, he promised Michael Middleton to ensure that Kate never suffered the fate his mother Princess Diana did.

So, the Prince agreed that the main focus would be to protect Kate's privacy, something that Diana was never be assured of. But apparently, the "Middleton Rules" has gone beyond just preserving privacy protocols, the report said.

The rules, which were reportedly presented to the Queen and Prince Charles keeping in mind the ill-fate that Diana met, slowly started creeping into the planning of royal duties to upbringing of the royal children. In fact, it led to engaging expensive media lawyers to create that protective environment.

The report further stated that some of the courtiers were wondering if "Middleton Rules" was responsible for the absence of the Duchess of Cambridge at the wedding of socialite Daisy Dickson and Old Harrovian estate agent Bear Maclean in Devon, last Saturday, where Prince William was finally accompanied by sister Pippa instead of Kate Middleton herself.

Well, it looks like a lot has changed since the death of Princess Diana. And now, Prince William and Kate Middleton may have created a whole new model of royalty.