Princess Kate discloses cancer diagnosis after surgery
The Princess of Wales announced that she has cancer in a deeply moving video message.
Two high-ranking members of Britain’s royal family are battling cancer, which has raised questions about how the heir to the throne, Prince William, will fare.
In recent months, the Prince of Wales has remained committed to his royal duties, while Princess Kate and King Charles III have been forced to step back amid their health woes. This is expected to continue to be the case after Kate revealed Friday that, like her father-in-law, she was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer.
Princess Kate and King Charles had been hospitalized earlier this year for an abdominal surgery and a procedure for an enlarged prostate, respectively. Then, their cancer diagnoses shocked the public.
In 1997, William and Prince Harry’s beloved mom Princess Diana died at 36 in a Paris car accident. Since then, both brothers have been open about the lasting grief that her loss left on their lives.
Now, nearly 30 years later, it remains to be seen how Prince William will face the cancer diagnoses of King Charles, 75, and wife Princess Kate, 42.
But with the Prince of Wales next in line to the throne, experts believe that despite the health struggles the royal family currently is facing, William is to carry on “business as usual.”
Prince William, Camilla take charge amid King Charles’ absence. Is it sustainable?
Experts say Prince William has ‘weight of the world’ on his shoulders
In February, royal observer Rachel Bowie told USA TODAY that the pressure on William had “never been greater” after his father postponed carrying out public duties due to his cancer.
William had to “carry the weight (of father King Charles),” Bowie noted.
Now, we know that William has the added pressure of his father and wife both battling cancer. The “weight of the world” seems to fall on William’s shoulders as he balances royal duties with supporting his family, royal commentator and host of the “To Di For Daily” podcast, Kinsey Schofield, told USA TODAY via email.
After Princess Kate made her last official public appearance in December before undergoing surgery in January, Kensington Palace said she would remain out of the public eye until after Easter. However the media and public zeroed in on Prince William and his family after it was revealed that a photo Kate shared had been manipulated.
This fueled conspiracy theories about her health and her whereabouts. Amid the online speculation, TMZ published a video showing William and Kate shopping in Windsor. Rumors about an alleged affair between Prince William and Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, also picked up steam.
William now finds himself in “an almost impossible situation,” says Kathryn Lamontagne, a lecturer at Boston University.
Public scrutiny of Princess Kate may be ‘reawakening’ traumatic memories for Prince William
According to experts, the public’s obsession with Princess Kate’s health may trigger Prince William with painful memories of his mother, Princess Diana.
“It is my understanding that Prince William is having a challenging time with the violation of privacy that his family is currently experiencing,” Schofield said, adding that the intense scrutiny around Princess Kate “is a reminder of how Prince William grew up followed by paparazzi and seeing both parents splashed across the front of newspapers.”
Pauline Maclaran, a professor at the Royal Holloway University of London, agrees, telling USA TODAY via email, that “this is certainly an incredibly difficult time for William.”
“It must be reawakening lots of traumatic memories around his mother’s death along with feelings of how easily life events can threaten to get out of control,” Maclaran adds.
Royal commentator Schofield adds that it has to be an “unbelievably lonely time” for William, who has a small circle around him to maintain privacy and is now dealing with a “sadness he likely has not experienced since the death of his mother.”
William is likely experiencing this all without his brother, Prince Harry, physically by his side.
Prince Harry, who now resides in California with wife Duchess Meghan, has spent a limited amount of time in the U.K. since he stepped back from royal duties in 2020.
Following their father’s cancer diagnosis in February, Harry also paid a brief visit to the king. In light of Princess Kate’s health news, Harry and Meghan said they “wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”
Prince William likely to ‘keep the show on the road,’ carry out ‘business as usual’
Amid his wife and father’s health struggles, Prince William has stepped up and attended numerous public events alone, including the Commonwealth Day service in March.
In January, though, he took a step back from royal duties following Kate’s hospitalization. In a video announcing her cancer diagnosis Friday, Princess Kate said it has been a “great source of comfort and reassurance” to have William by her side.
“It is known that he believes that he must put his family first – in contrast to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who put the crown first, and we have seen this at the start of Kate’s illness when he took time off to be by her side,” professor Maclaran told USA TODAY.
“I believe his attitude in this respect has gained public approval and in modern times people expect familial concerns to take precedence,” she added.
King Charles III praises Princess Kate after cancer diagnosis: ‘So proud of Catherine’
From now on, William will “very much be trying to keep the show on the road” as he stands in for the king, Maclaran adds.
In a statement from Kensington Palace on Sunday, Kate and William appeared to be a united front during this difficult time for the royal family. The pair said they are “enormously touched by the kind messages” and grateful “for the understanding of their request for privacy at this time.”
But might Prince William take another step back or open up publicly about this challenging period?
That’s unlikely. Lamontagne tells USA TODAY that William missing his godfather’s memorial service in February may be “as much as we’re going to see of him caving into the realities” of the difficult situation.
“He seems to be taking a page out of the playbook of his grandmother with being stoic and carrying on with business as usual,” Lamontagne said, suggesting William will likely not make an emotional public statement or reach out for support like his brother, Prince Harry, might do in his shoes.
“Prince William has made it clear that is not the kind of person that he is. His emotions are not out there for public fodder,” Lamontagne said.
Contributing: Naledi Ushe
Carol Dennis is an entertainment aficionado with an eye for all things pop culture. She dives into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, from movie premieres to music festivals. Carol’s passion for storytelling extends beyond her reporting, as she’s an aspiring screenwriter in her free time.
