Here Is How Prince William Has Been Handling Kate Middleton's Cancer Diagnosis
The first few months of 2024 have not been easy for the British royal family. In March, Princess Catherine announced her cancer diagnosis. What's more, King Charles III has also stepped back from royal duties while he receives his cancer treatment. While the late Queen Elizabeth II once described 1992 as a year she would not look back on "with undiluted pleasure," it appears the House of Windsor may be experiencing an Annus Horribilis 2.0.
Prince William not only is grappling with his father's diagnosis and what it means for the throne, but he's watching his wife undergo treatment for her own health matters. It's a lot for one person to take on at once, let alone in the harsh glare of the public eye. As a source told Page Six, "William is doing his best, one minute he's doing the school run and now he is under incredible stress."
While the royal family has long championed the idea of maintaining a "stiff upper lip" in the face of trial and tribulation, William has long championed making his mental health a priority. As he told CALMZine (via The Guardian) in 2017, "There may be a time and a place for the stiff upper lip, but not at the expense of your health." While the Waleses have made an effort to keep their family's health matters relatively private, there have been some updates on how the prince has dealt with Catherine's cancer diagnosis so far.
Prince William has reportedly kept Prince Harry at arm's length
Unless you've been living under a rock or you just aren't interested in the British royal family, you know Prince William and Prince Harry's relationship is not in a great spot. Frankly, living on opposite sides of the world isn't far enough for their strained dynamic. After Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as working members of the royal family, made a number of bombshell accusations against the Windsors in their 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview, and released a Netflix documentary about leaving the royal family, it's not really surprising that William isn't leaning on him for support. Oh, and Harry's scathing memoir, "Spare," probably doesn't help matters either.
With Princess Catherine undergoing cancer treatment, the last thing the family needs is any kind of drama from their familial relations across the Atlantic. According to ITV Royal Editor Chris Ship, Harry and Meghan did contact their estranged relatives. As Ship wrote via X, formerly known as Twitter, "Prince Harry has reached out to his brother, Prince William after learning of Kate's cancer. Harry and Meghan have both been in touch with their brother/sister-in-law but did so privately."
However, according to a report from The Independent, a friend of the couple claimed they don't want a visit from Harry. Evidently, they'd prefer to steer clear of all the "drama" and public attention that would follow.
He took a brief break from royal engagements
After King Charles III shared his cancer diagnosis with the world on February 5, 2024, his eldest son, Prince William, stuck to his duties. The future monarch appeared at royal events such as the 2023 Diana Awards, and he played basketball at the opening of a youth charity facility in London. All the while, speculation and rumors about Princess Catherine's whereabouts and well-being spun out of control.
On March 22, 2024, Catherine formally announced that she'd spent the last few months out of the public eye because she'd been diagnosed with cancer. After she shared her health update, sources told People that William would be taking a relatively short break from royal duties in order to support Catherine and their children. According to the sources, William wanted to be home as much as possible while his kids were on school break. Kensington Palace announced he'd resume his duties on April 18, 2024, with a visit to a food bank and youth center.
William reportedly took a trip to the pub with Catherine's mom
Though Prince William made an effort to fly under the radar in the weeks following Princess Catherine's cancer announcement, that's not to say he did not go out in public whatsoever. On April 10, 2024, the Daily Mail's Richard Eden shared that he'd heard William and mother-in-law Carole Middleton had gone out to a pub close to Anmer Hall. A source told Eden, "It was all very low-key, with no great fanfare. He just walked in and through the pub." Carole was reportedly visiting the Waleses for the Easter holiday.
In addition to the stress surrounding Catherine's diagnosis, Carole is reportedly going through some money troubles, too. According to the Times, Carole and Michael Middleton are apparently in a lot of debt because of the way things shook out after they sold their company, Party Pieces, in 2019. Evidently, they owe £260,000 to the company that was tasked with handling the insolvency. "Carole is desperately trying to keep Catherine fully focused on her recovery," a source told Us Weekly. "It's a very worrying time for the family but they are not looking for any assistance from their children and don't want them to worry." Whatever is or isn't going on with the Middletons' financial situation, it sounds like Carole and William have been there for one another.
He's been a 'rock' for Catherine and their children at home
As he's continued to do what he can to keep the royal family running in the wake of King Charles III's diagnosis, Prince William has reportedly been a pillar of support for Princess Catherine throughout her health struggles. When she first underwent abdominal surgery in January 2024, Catherine stayed in the hospital for around two weeks to recover, which meant William was the main caretaker of their children at home.
Understandably, there have been questions about who has been in William's corner while he navigates his wife and father's respective cancer diagnoses. As reporter Sarah-Louise Robertson told GB News (via Express), "William is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders ... He's having to be a rock for everybody else, but who has Prince William got?"
Thankfully, William is not facing this alone. As royal expert Phil Dampier told The Sun, the family's longtime nanny, Maria Borrallo, as well as William's mother-in-law, Carole Middleton, have been tremendous sources of assistance during this time. "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 said.
Prince William took Prince George to see a soccer game
A few weeks after Princess Catherine announced her cancer diagnosis, Prince George had his first public outing. On April 11, 2024, Prince William took his eldest out to Aston Villa's UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24 quarter-final against Lille OSC.
According to Page Six, William and George were seen clapping, cheering, and chatting animatedly as they watched the match, with cameras panning over to them. Luckily for them, Aston Villa won the match, so they could go home with a smile on their faces and some positive energy.
At 10 years old, Prince George is the oldest child of William and Catherine, and he presumably understands a little more than his younger siblings about what is going on with their mother. In the video in which Catherine announced she had cancer, she mentioned that she and William made a point to make sure their kids were brought up to speed before the news was made public. "It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I am going to be OK," she said. It's understandable that a parent going through cancer treatment would be most worried about how it would affect their children.
He recently returned to social media with a new Instagram Story
While it's understandable that Prince William and Princess Catherine would want a break from social media, tabloids, and the relentless conspiracy theories that plagued them as she recovered from surgery, the Prince and Princess of Wales' Instagram page had to be updated eventually. On April 10, 2024, William posted on Instagram for the first time since Catherine shared her health update. However, the post wasn't in any way personal; William kept it strictly professional, showing he was ready to take his first tentative steps back into work life.
In an Instagram Story, the prince praised England Lioness Rachel Daly after she announced she would be retiring from soccer (or football for the rest of the world.) He wrote, "Thank you for so many unforgettable performances with @Lionesses, @racheldaly3. Plenty more goals for Villa now!" William signed off with a "W."
Just days later on April 13, William and Catherine posted a joint statement to X, formerly known as Twitter, in which they paid tribute to the victims of the stabbing at a mall in Sydney, Australia. They wrote, "We are shocked and saddened by the terrible events in Sydney earlier today. Our thoughts are with all those affected, including the loved ones of those lost and the heroic emergency responders who risked their own lives to save others." They signed off with "W & C."
Prince William has a lot on his plate and feels the pressure, according to royal experts
Just imagine what Prince William must be feeling with his wife and father being diagnosed with cancer within weeks of each other, and knowing that he's next in line to the throne should anything happen. On top of that, taking care of three children who must be working through their own concerns regarding their mother. And on top of that, he has to go about royal duties in front of cameras. It's enough to make anyone want to crawl into the fetal position under a duvet and never get up.
In a March 25, 2024, op-ed for The New York Times, royal author Tina Brown wrote about the unimaginable pressure for William and Catherine and the possibility they will ascend the throne faster than previously anticipated. It's a massive burden and the timing couldn't be worse. It's something Queen Elizabeth II herself experienced when her father George VI died and she ascended the throne in 1952 at the age of 25.
What's more, the relentless media speculation reportedly reminded William of what Princess Diana endured. Sunday Times Royal editor Roya Nikkhah told "Good Morning Britain" (via Tatler), "I think for him, having seen his mother go through quite a lot of that, the hounding of his mother...I think he feels he's seeing elements of that being repeated again in terms of the demands and scrutiny over his wife, over her medical privacy. That's hurting him."