Prince William, the Prince of Wales, was sighted on April 6 in a small-town tavern in North Norfolk, England, alongside his mother-in-law, Carole Middleton. Princess Kate, Princess of Wales, did not accompany them.
"It was all very low-key, with no great fanfare. He appeared to be with his mother-in-law, Carole Middleton," one source claimed. "She was home at Anmer Hall," it furthered, adding that Carole has moved in with the family at their Norfolk estate to assist Princess Kate, who revealed on March 22 that she has cancer.
“Her mother has been a rock for them because their home life has changed a lot. Princess Kate has been able to rely on Prince William, her mother, and those in her inner circle to help her with the children while she focuses on getting through chemotherapy, fighting this disease — and adjusting to her new normal," the insider went on.
According to In Touch Weekly, her children are her top priority. Princess Kate, 42, delayed so long to communicate the devastating news of her health with her children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 6.
"Princess Kate handled a difficult and tricky situation incredibly well … to have to deal with [her] children and then have to offer explanations in such a public scenario," Gary Goldsmith, her uncle, said in a statement.
She intended to protect them for as long as she could, according to the source, “to make sure they understood that she was going to be OK and felt safe before she announced it to the world.”
However, after Princess Kate released the video tackling her cancer diagnosis, adds the source, “there was definitely a sense of relief because it put an end to all the wild speculation about why she hadn’t been seen for so long after her surgery. Now she may heal in relative seclusion, surrounded by her family.
They are providing her with every necessary assistance. While Princess Kate has stated, “It’s hard for everyone to see you suffering without being able to do anything about it,” Prince William, 41, has stepped up as best he can.
Despite their recent marital difficulties following Prince William's alleged cheating scandal, "he has been an enormous source of strength. He’s so proud of how she’s dealing with this and loves her more than ever,” a source said of the prince, who has modified his royal schedule to include more parental responsibilities such as school drop-offs and pickups.
Carole, 69, “has been shuttling Princess Kate to her appointments and caring for her at home. There’s no one like your mother to comfort you when you’re feeling sick, no matter how old you are.”
“[The kids] are following some new rules, like picking up after themselves and making their own snacks, but also making sure to wash their hands more often because Princess Kate can’t be exposed to germs while she’s going through chemo,” the source said.
“George, who has always been wiser than his years, has been a real role model, especially to Charlotte. And she loves keeping Louis in line!” it went on. At an event last year, Prince William joked that Charlotte was always “making sure her little brother behaved himself.”
Meanwhile, Princess Kate, who has always prided herself on being a hands-on mother, has allegedly come to rely on her inner group, particularly her sister, Pippa, her nanny, Maria Borrallo, and her close Norfolk friends.
“A very wise person said to me, ‘The more people you have around your children who are safe and loving and caring, the better,’” Princess Kate once said. “It was a real weight off my shoulders, that it’s not my responsibility to do everything, because we all have good days and bad days, and if you can dilute that with others who aren’t, on that particular day, struggling, it makes such a difference.”
Still, two people will never be a member of that inner circle again: brother-in-law, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle.
While Princess Kate and Prince William informed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex about her operation beforehand, “William and Princess Kate decided to cut them out of knowing anything that happened after,” says the source, noting that because Prince Harry divulged in interviews and his memoir, "Spare," so much about their private lives, “the trust is gone. Prince William and Princess Princess Kate can’t risk them leaking anything about her condition, which would make the situation even more stressful than it already is.”
Princess Kate needs to devote all of her efforts to healing. When the princess suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness, during her three pregnancies, she became an advocate for meditation, hypnosis, and deep breathing, and she has returned to those methods to help relieve stress, according to the source. It also helps to know she has the whole globe on her side.
Princess Kate was rated the most popular royal in a recent YouGov survey (up 6% from last year), and her and Prince William's Instagram followers have increased. The public has showered her with good wishes, including the two little girls at a March 27 ceremony in Shrewsbury who gave Queen Camilla hand-drawn posters that read:
“Send our love to Princess Kate. I shall send these on to Catherine. I know that she is thrilled by all the kind wishes and support," Camilla stated.
Princess Kate may not want to show her face right now, but she is deeply moved by the outpouring of positive energy. This is the most difficult battle she has ever faced, but she is determined to overcome cancer.
