Double blow: How Prince William is coping with Kate, King’s cancer diagnosis
Royal sources have revealed how the heir to the British royal throne, Prince William, has been dealing with the double blow of King Charles and Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnoses.
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The Prince of Wales is “utterly crestfallen” and struggling to put on a brave face at public engagements after the double blow of his father and wife’s cancer diagnoses.
Royal sources say the heir has told friends that his return to royal duties, including the expected public cheeriness, has been difficult.
“When he received the news about (wife) Kate (Middleton), the woman he loves the most in the world, he was utterly crestfallen,” a source said.
“He was devastated when the King told him he had cancer, it hit him, but when it came to Kate, his face said it all.
“He immediately told the King he would step back from royal duties to focus on Kate and the children – and the King has been completely understanding of that.”
Prince William this week took over as official Colonel-in-Chief from the King and visited the Isles of Scilly, touring businesses and organisations that use the harbour on St Mary’s.
“William is back with a full summer program and is focusing on his homelessness and environment charities which he is passionate about. He knows how to put on the smiles but he’s still not himself,” the source said.
“He knows what’s required of him but he has been preoccupied, it hasn’t always been easy.”
His return comes almost a month after the Princess of Wales revealed traces of cancer were found during abdominal surgery and that she was in the early stages of preventive treatment.
Her shock announcement followed a photoshop scandal surrounding an image Princess Catherine posted for Mother’s Day, which attracted global criticism at a time no one knew she was unwell.
The Wales’s have been staying at their Windsor home Adelaide Cottage with the children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis from where Prince William manages the school run.
“William has insisted on being hands on and doing the school run every morning before going to work,” a source said.
“There are no royal servants at Windsor and inside the house they (Kate and William, usually) both do everything, bath time, feed the kids, play with them, help with homework …”
“With Kate, it’s still too early to know when she will return. It’s day by day with Kate, we will know soon, it’s up to her doctors.”
Since William became heir to the throne, discussions about a trip to Australia have been afoot.
“But after the king has gone first,” a source said.
Meanwhile, the King, who returned to royal duty two weeks ago after being given clearance by his medical team, is said to be buoyed negotiations for his first royal tour of Australia as monarch later this year.
Plans for a royal visit were shelved when the Queen died.
It is customary for a new monarch to visit the Commonwealth realm within the first year that they are crowned.
Queen Elizabeth II visited 16 times, the first time in 1954 and finally in 2011.
A scaled back two-week visit Down Under taking in New Zealand is being planned for when the King travels to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) in between October 21-25.
Invitations are being considered to attend the Melbourne Cup and Everest Race day on October 19 to present the trophy for a race entitled the King Charles III Stakes.
He had also been invited to bicentenary celebrations of the New South Wales parliament’s upper house.
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Originally published as Double blow: How Prince William is coping with Kate, King’s cancer diagnosis
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