Prince William Wasn’t Prepared for Kate Middleton, King Charles’s Cancer

It has been a very rocky year for the British royal family, and the weight of recent events has weighed heavily on Prince William’s shoulders. In addition to his continued and unmitigated feud with younger brother Prince Harry, William received a double whammy when both King Charles and Kate Middleton were diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year—news that he was entirely unprepared to deal with.

Royal historian Gareth Russell told Us Weekly that William did not forsee needing to step in for Charles so soon into his reign, despite being destined to ascend the throne. “Maybe he wasn’t emotionally prepared for it,” Russell told the outlet. “[Charles]—yes, is elderly—but his father was famously quite healthy and lives well, eats well, and according to his wife, Queen Camilla, just never stops walking.”

Russell’s statements echoes royal source reporting from People on May 9—insiders told the outlet that Charles was bearing the brunt of his family’s cancer diagnoses on his own and was “not leaning on too many others,” despite it being a difficult time for the monarchy. “Whether you’re a prince or a pauper, no one would expect anything like this with his father and his wife both being treated for cancer,” the source said at the time. “William is digging deep.”

In the time since, conditions amongst the royal family has improved. Charles has taken on more royal responsibilities and is even leading events, and while Middleton continues to take a step back from her own duties—she’s “reevaluating what she’s going to be able to take on when she comes back,” Us Weekly previously reported—she and William are bonding now that his royal work is on pause due to the upcoming general election in England.

A source told Us Weekly on June 5 that the Prince and Princess of Wales are spending more time together adding, “The announcement that the royals won’t be able to work as much has been unexpected, but it will allow Kate and William to spend more time together. They’ve been reconnecting and are closer than ever.”