Prince William has been forced out of ‘family life’ and back into ‘royal duties much sooner than he would have liked’ following the King’s cancer diagnosis - and Kate Middleton’s worried about how he’s handling everything
"There are times when duty trumps family life"
After stepping back from royal duties to prioritise looking after his three young children while their mother was in hospital, the King's cancer diagnosis has 'forced' Prince William back into ‘royal duties much sooner than he would have liked’ and Kate Middleton is reportedly 'worried' about how he’s dealing with the health news and being away from his family.
While Prince William has long been able to fulfil his wish of prioritising family over work, being a hands-on dad, and enjoying long trips and holidays away with his children, going to many of the most popular holiday destinations kids want to visit in 2024, his position as first in the royal line of succession has now come up trumps.
With King Charles' cancer diagnosis leaving the monarch out of action, and Kate Middleton's recent surgery forcing her to step back from duties too, William has been forced to step up after taking time off to look after Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis while their mum was in hospital. And one expert believes he's probably upset about leaving his family after all that quality time they got to spend together, a sadness that will only worsen the toll both his father's and his wife's health struggles have had on him.
"Kate is worried about the psychic toll these twin medical battles are having on her husband,” royal expert and author Christopher Andersen told Fox News. "William is terribly concerned about Kate’s condition — we still don’t know what her abdominal surgery was for or why her recovery is taking months — and now he has to face the fact that his father has cancer.
“William has always made it clear that he wanted a full-fledged family life, and when Kate became incapacitated, he stepped in to play hands-on dad. He cut back on his schedule to drive the kids to school, the whole nine yards. Now he has resumed his royal duties much sooner than perhaps he would have liked.
"But there are times when duty trumps family life and, after all, William is the future King.”
Unfortunately for William, it is believed his increased responsibilities will not be a short term thing, keeping him away from his family a lot more than he would like and making him 'contemplate' his future as King, one royal expert has shared.
GoodtoKnow Newsletter
Parenting advice, hot topics, best buys and family finance tips delivered straight to your inbox.
Speaking about what is likely going through William's head as he takes on more duties, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! Magazine, "I think he'll be feeling very serious about his life. This is not a time in which he wanted to take on extra responsibilities, and it's not a time when he wanted really to contemplate the fact that one day in the very foreseeable future he is going to be a monarch.
“This is a time in his life where we know when he just wants to be a hands on dad and a very supportive husband. He’ll feel somewhat besieged by his wife being ill and now his father having cancer - this is a scary time for him. He’s already lost his mother, and I think that gives you a vulnerability with any illness with a parent when you've already lost one, so I really feel for William in this."
In other royal news, What Prince Harry’s short meeting with his dad King Charles tells us about the current state of their relationship (and it doesn't necessarily spell doom and gloom) and King Charles’ cancer diagnosis ‘will be a lot to deal with’ for Prince George as he faces an early introduction to royal life - but Prince William and Kate Middleton know how to look out for his wellbeing.
Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is royal news and entertainment writer for Goodto.com. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.
-
Worried about your teen 'being smelly'? They can't help it, according to scientists, and help is on its way to ease the problem
We know that puberty can cause all sorts of smells to emanate from teens - now scientists have revealed exactly what you're smelling, and how evolution contributed.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
Parenting coach shares 4 'powerful' reframes to try next time it feels like your kid is pushing all your buttons (and #4 is a game changer)
A parenting coach has shared four ways parents can reframe their thoughts when their kid has big emotions. Giving them a try could offer big results in little time.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are huge fans of this popular tinned food - and it’s not what you’d expect from the royals
Royal meal times are more similar to the average family's than you might imagine
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince George is ‘a chip off the old block’ says body language expert as she highlights the similarities between him and his dad Prince William
The father/son duo share an incredibly close bond
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince William and Kate Middleton planning to renovate family home as it only ‘just about fits the entire family’
The Waleses Windsor home Adelaide Cottage is about to get a new look
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince William treated Prince George to the ultimate father/son bonding night - and everyone is saying the same thing about the youngster
The father and son both have a love for football, bonding over the shared interest
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
The unexpected way King Charles made sure his son Prince William met Kate Middleton - and he could never have guessed how important the ‘fatherly’ advice would be
Without some stern advice from his father, Prince William may never have met his future wife
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince William and Kate Middleton are ‘enthusiastic’ about reconciling with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - and it’s all for the sake of their children
The Prince and Princess of Wales are reportedly keen to end the royal feud and connect with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Kate Middleton and Prince William likely 'sugarcoated' cancer diagnosis for younger son Louis, the King's former butler says, but it was a little different for Prince George and Princess Charlotte
The Prince and Princess of Wales made sure to break the news in as 'positive' of a way as possible
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
Prince William and Kate Middleton make surprise family trip for Easter - and it proves the couple are focusing on Prince George, Charlotte and Louis amid Kate’s health struggles
The Wales family are set to have a relaxing Easter break away from the public eye
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published