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Two senior members of the British royal family are battling cancer, raising questions about how 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 take a step back amid their health issues. This is expected to remain the case after Kate revealed on Friday that she, like her father-in-law, has been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer.
Princess Kate and King Charles had been hospitalized earlier this year for abdominal surgery and an enlarged prostate procedure, respectively. Then his cancer diagnoses shocked the public.
In 1997, William and Prince Harry’s beloved mother, Princess Diana, died at age 36 in a car accident in Paris. Since then, both brothers have spoken openly about the lasting pain her loss left in their lives.
Now, almost 30 years later, it remains to be seen how Prince William will cope with the cancer diagnoses of King Charles, 75, and his wife, Princess Kate, 42.
But with the Prince of Wales next in line to the throne, experts believe that despite the health problems currently facing the royal family, William should continue “business as usual.”
Prince William and Camilla take chargein the midst of the absence of King Charles. Is it sustainable?
Experts say Prince William has ‘the weight of the world’ on his shoulders
In February, royal watcher Rachel Bowie told USA TODAY that the pressure on William had “never been greater” after his father postponed his public duties due to his cancer.
William had to “carry (father King Charles’s) weight,” Bowie noted.
We now know that William has the added pressure of his father and wife battling cancer. The “weight of the world” appears to fall on William’s shoulders as he balances royal duties with supporting his family, royal commentator and host of the “For Di for daily” podcaster 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 public view until after Easter. However, the media and public focused on Prince William and his family after it was revealed that a photo Kate shared had been doctored.
This fueled conspiracy theories about his health and whereabouts. Amid online speculation, TMZ posted a video showing William and Kate shopping in Windsor. Rumors about a alleged romance between Prince William and Rose Hanburythe Marchioness of Cholmondeley also gained momentum.
William now finds himself in “an almost impossible situation,” says Kathryn Lamontagne, a professor at Boston University.
Public scrutiny of Princess Kate may be ‘awakening’ traumatic memories of Prince William
According to experts, the public’s obsession with Princess Kate’s health may cause Prince William to have painful memories of his mother, Princess Diana.
“I understand that Prince William is going through a difficult time with the violation of privacy 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 the paparazzi.” and seeing both parents splashed on the front page of the newspapers.
Pauline Maclaran, a professor at Royal Holloway University of London, agrees, telling USA TODAY via email that “this is certainly an incredibly difficult time for William.”
“She must be stirring up a lot of traumatic memories around her mother’s death, along with feelings of how easily life events can threaten to spiral out of control,” Maclaran adds.
Royal commentator Schofield adds that it has to be an “incredibly lonely time” for William, who has a small circle around him for privacy and is now dealing with a “sadness he probably hasn’t experienced since his mother’s death.” .
William is likely experiencing all of this without his brother, Prince Harry, physically by his side.
Prince Harry, who now resides in California with his wife, Duchess Meghan, has spent a limited amount of time in the United Kingdom since stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
Following his father’s cancer diagnosis in February, Harry also paid a brief visit to the king. In light of the news about Princess Kate’s health, Harry and Meghan said they “wish health and healing for Kate and her family, and hope to do so privately and peacefully.”
Prince William likely to ‘keep the show going’ and carry out ‘business as usual’
Amid his wife and father’s health problems, Prince William has stepped up and attended numerous public events alone., including the Commonwealth Day service in March.
However, in January he stepped back from royal duties following Kate’s hospitalization. In a video announcing her cancer diagnosis on Friday, Princess Kate said it has been a “great source of comfort and comfort” to have William by her side.
“He is known to believe that he should put his family first, unlike his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who put the crown first, and we have seen this at the beginning of Kate’s illness, when she took time off to be with their side,” Professor Maclaran told USA TODAY.
“I think his attitude in this regard has won public approval and in modern times people expect family concerns to take priority,” he added.
King Charles IIIpraises Princess Kate after cancer diagnosis: “I am very proud of Catherine”
From now on, William will “try to keep the show going” as he replaces 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 couple said they are “hugely touched by the kind messages” and grateful “for your understanding of their request for privacy at this time.”
But could Prince William take a further step back or speak publicly about this difficult period?
That’s unlikely. Lamontagne tells USA TODAY that William’s absence from his godfather’s memorial service in February may be “the most we’ll see of him giving in to the realities” of the difficult situation.
“He seems to be following his grandmother’s example, being stoic and doing the same old thing,” Lamontagne said, suggesting that William probably won’t make an emotional public statement or seek support like his brother, the Prince. Harry, it might work instead.
“Prince William has made it clear that this is not the kind of person he is. His emotions are not there to be presented publicly,” Lamontagne said.
Contributing: Naledi Ushe