Prince William under ‘incredible stress’ but ‘doing his best’ amid Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Prince William is holding the fort on his own as his wife Kate Middleton is battling with cancer.
The 42-year-old Princess of Wales remained out of public sight ever since her planned abdominal surgery in January 2024.
A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales pic.twitter.com/5LQT1qGarK
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 22, 2024
Following the barrage of wild speculations regarding her health and whereabouts, Kate shocked the entire world by announcing her cancer diagnosis through a video message on Friday, March 22. Along with the message, the princess also shared that she has started preventive chemotherapy and is doing well.
The mother-of-three shared that her husband and the heir to the British throne, Prince William has been a strong pillar of support during her health struggle.
Prince William balancing familial duty with royal duty
Amid Kate’s illness, some well-placed palace sources speculate that William’s responsibility has increased.
Apart from fulfilling his responsibilities as a senior working royal, the Prince of Wales also has to take care of his ailing wife and his father, King Charles III - who has also been diagnosed with a “form of cancer” in February.
The source recently shared with Page Six that, “William is doing his best, one minute he’s doing the school run and now he is under incredible stress.”
The source also hinted that while previously Williams thought he would enjoy being the Prince of Wales for at least another two decades before ascending the British throne, King Charles’ health has expedited the possible timeline of becoming the monarch.
In the absence of Kate in the sphere of public duties, it is further thought that William is burdened with more work with nobody to fall back to.
The source, while castigating Prince Harry - William’s brother and probably the only person from whom he could seek help before his flight to America - the source said, “He is a heartbeat away from the throne and he has his beastly brother and all of this publicity floating around.”
Prince William desires privacy
During her interview, Kate specifically mentioned that her husband has been one of her greatest support systems during the grueling times.
She said, “Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too,” before adding a plea for privacy.
Kate continued, “We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment.”
Another palace source further noted on Prince William’s desire for privacy from the media following his mother, Princess Diana’s death in 1997.
The source added, “He’s always hated the press because of what happened to his mother and has made it no secret,” before adding that the prince can be stubborn quite at times.
Another palace insider even fired back at the conspiracies regarding William allowing Kate to bear the brunt of all social media controversies after the Mother’s Day photo fiasco.
They said, “For everybody that was speculating, shame on them, no-one stopped to think that William was actually more concerned with looking after his wife and children.”
