Prince William is relying on this close family member to help him ‘look after the kids’ while Kate Middleton recovers from surgery

Following the news that Kate Middleton will spend two weeks in hospital to recover from abdominal surgery, a royal expert has revealed which family member Prince William will be relying on to help him ‘look after the kids’ and it sounds like the youngsters are in for a treat! 

Royal fans were sent into a frenzy when, on 17 January, Kensington Palace revealed that Kate Middleton had undergone pre-planned abdominal surgery and would be stepping back from her royal duties until, at the earliest, Easter. 

The Princess is currently recovering in hospital and is expected to be staying there for at least two weeks to fully regain her strength. But her recovery means that not only is she out of commission when it comes to her role in The Firm, she's also having to step away from parenting duties, leaving her three young children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, in the hands of their dad, Prince William. 

However, the Prince, who sits second in the royal line of succession, is not alone and has a huge roster of both staff and family members to rely on when it comes to offering help with the kids. Still, according to royal expert Phil Dampier, William will be the 'rock' keeping everything 'as normal as possible' for the family throughout Kate's absence. 

"William will be Kate’s rock while she is in hospital but other members of the royal family will be giving her their love and support as well," Dampier told Fabulous.

"At home William will be looking after the children but of course he is ably assisted by the kids’ Spanish nanny Maria Borrallo who has always been there for them. They are all very fond of her and they are in safe hands."

The kids will also stay in school to keep their daily routines feeling 'as normal as possible,' the expert shared - though things may get thrown out of order if it snows in the UK in 2024 and school is cancelled in favour of a few snow days that are more than just fun for kids, they’re also great for their health. 

But while the children's nanny is always on hand, there is one family member whose more than keen to step in and offer William a helping hand. Carole Middleton, Kate's mum who reportedly orchestrated Kate and William's 'chance' meeting from behind the scenes, is also set to offer support to her son-in-law and grandchildren. 

"Carole is also very close to the three children, especially George," Dampier shared. "She will be reassuring the children that their mother is safe and being well looked after."

The children are no doubt already missing their mum but they're sure to be keeping busy at home with their dad. The father is much more involved in his kids' lives than royals have been previously, with former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond sharing admiration for his 'hands on' approach to parenting. 

"With the late Queen’s ailing health, William probably had to step up to his full time royal job quicker than he might have hoped, but you can see now how committed he is," she told OK! Magazine. "However, I also very much admire the fact that he’s not a workaholic like his father, he knows how important family life is and how much it means to his children to be around at weekends and holidays and whenever he can.

"He seems to be a full on, hands-on, caring dad with a house full of fun and laughter."