For a couple whose favorite thing to do is binge a TV show with a takeout curry on the sofa, Prince William and Kate Middleton now find themselves at the center of a relentlessly grim royal news cycle — and a test like no other for the future king.
Although they are a heartbeat away from the throne, the Prince and Princess of Wales like to live quietly; they collect Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, who will celebrate his 6th birthday on April 23 from school and spend evenings as a family at home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
On the weekends, they go on long family walks with cocker spaniel Orla.
But Kate’s mysterious disappearance from the public eye after major abdominal surgery in January prompted weeks of cruel conspiracy theories that raced around the globe, given even more credence by celebrities like Stephen Colbert, who — falsely — accused William of having an affair with British aristocrat Rose Hanbury.
Finally, Kate, 42, revealed on Friday that she has cancer and has started grueling chemotherapy treatment.
Now her 41-year-old husband must support his wife — at the same time as aiding his father King Charles through the same illness.
And he must do it all without the help of his beloved mother, Princess Diana.
In the space of a few months his life has changed irrevocably; the possibility of becoming King far sooner than he ever imagined now looms over him.
And underlying it all is a bitter estrangement from his brother Prince Harry, perhaps the only person on earth who in the past he could have looked to for help with his burden.
One well-placed Palace source told us, “William is doing his best, one minute he’s doing the school run and now he is under incredible stress.
“He is a heartbeat away from the throne and he has his beastly brother and all of this publicity floating around.”
When Kate addressed the world in a video filmed on the Windsor estate, she spoke far more publicly about royal health than any member of the family had ever done before.
Revealing that she had been diagnosed after surgery and had preventative chemotherapy, then praising her husband’s support, she shone a light on their lives but also asked for “privacy” for her, her husband and children.
“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too,” she said.
“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment.”
William’s desire for privacy, formed in the death of his mother in 1997 and undiminished in the years since, has been a key to his personality.
Although Prince Harry has always been outspoken about the media attention their mother came under, William has always been more quiet on the matter.
However, “He’s always hated the press because of what happened to his mother and has made it no secret,” said a Palace source, who said the heir to the throne can be acutely stubborn and not someone who is easy to push over.
When the Wales camp at Kensington Palace were under immense pressure to say what was wrong with Kate as absurd conspiracy theories mushroomed, William held firm.
Top staffers were not even told what was wrong because William was so keen to protect his wife’s privacy, we are told.
Another Palace insider told us that William had been hit hard by accusations that he let his wife take the rap for the Photoshop Mother’s Day scandal.
“For everybody that was speculating, shame on them, no-one stopped to think that William was actually more concerned with looking after his wife and children,” said the insider.
The insider said those inside Kensington Palace were also especially furious at Colbert’s jokes about William and an alleged affair at such a difficult time.
“He owes them a massive apology, it’s appalling,” said the insider.
The extent of his wife’s illness was only hinted at when William had to pull out of his godfather King Constantine’s memorial on February 28 with just 45 minutes notice — with officials saying it was “for a personal reason.”
It was all the more eyebrow-raising because the service was being held at St George’s Chapel — just minutes from his Windsor home — and William was set to give a reading.
In fact, sources now confirm, William was by his wife’s side amid her newly-delivered cancer diagnosis.
Balancing the public nature of being royal with their desire to be private has never been easy to William and Kate, who met as teens at St. Andrews University in Scotland.
Famously, William was enraptured by his future wife when he saw her modeling in skimpy nightwear in a fashion show.
William said they were friends for a year before they started dating when things started “to blossom.”
Although they kept their romance under wraps Kate was thrust into the spotlight when they were first photographed during a ski trip to Klosters, Switzerland, the royals’ favorite vacation spot, in 2004.
And Kate got a glimpse of what was in store for her when the press nicknamed her “Waity Katie” as the couple did not get engaged until 2010, following a brief split in 2007.
William proposed in Kenya with his late mother’s iconic diamond and 18-carat sapphire engagement ring.
“There’s a true romantic in there,” Kate joked during their engagement interview.
William was more serious. “Obviously, she’s not going to be around to share in all the fun and excitement, so this is my way of keeping her close to it all,” he said of Diana.
They wed, watched by a global audience of 2 billion at Westminster Abbey in London in April 2011, but quickly did their best to stay out of the spotlight, with the Prince working as a helicopter pilot for Britain’s emergency rescue service before fully entering public duties.
But just how key he and his wife are to the future of the monarchy has been unmistakable for years and was only reinforced by his father King Charles’ “slimmed-down” monarchy.
It was put on display at the king’s coronation last May, when Prince Andrew, disgraced by scandal, and Prince Harry, self-exiled to Montecito, California, were not on Buckingham Palace’s balcony to thank the king’s subjects for their support.
At the time Prince William hoped he had about 20 years before he became King, multiple sources told Page Six.
But this year has entirely changed that calculus and William is now in a sprint to be ready for an event which he had hoped was far in the distance: the moment he is first addressed as “Your Majesty.”
Shortly before Kate’s diagnosis, the couple hired two new aides.
One is Ian Patrick, who will be his private secretary — his most important advisor and staffer — after a career as a British diplomat and a business consultant.
Kate too has a new private secretary, Lieutenant Colonel Tom White. Notably he was an aide to the late Queen Elizabeth, who was close to Kate.
“They’re great guys,” said a Palace insider.
And with the relentless logic of monarchy, Page Six has learned that plans are already well underway for the funeral of his father, the king, and of Queen Camilla.
The late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral plans, known as Operation London Bridge had been burnished by courtiers for decades.
There was also a plan for Charles when he was prince of Wales called Menai Bridge — a reference to a span in the principality — and now Buckingham Palace and the British Government are in advanced planning for the vast public spectacle of another royal funeral.
One senior Government source told us, “I know multiple meetings have been held to update the Bridge plans.
“There have been meetings with the King and Queen, because they have to sign off on the plans.”
For now those serious preparations will proceed without William’s involvement while he is at Kate’s side.
So too will events in the royal calendar: the Waleses will not be at the traditional Windsor Chapel Easter service.
Kate has the comfort of having her mother and father, Carole and Mike Middleton living nearby, as does her sister Pippa and her husband James Matthew and their three young children.
As she said, “At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”
