Prince William ‘extremely proud’ of Princess Kate’s ‘courage’ after difficult few months
Princess Kate addressed the world in a heartfelt video message on Friday as she opened up about her cancer diagnosis.

The Prince of Wales is said to be “extremely proud” of the “courage and strength” shown by Princess Kate following her worldwide announcement on Friday.

Speaking to The Telegraph, royal sources said Prince William is not only proud of his wife’s bravery in opening up about her cancer diagnosis, but also of how she has handled the news since her abdominal surgery in January.

A royal source said: “William is extremely proud of his wife for the courage and strength she has shown not just this week, but since her surgery in January.

“He has always done all he can to protect his family and now more than ever he’s focused on ensuring his wife has the privacy she needs to fully recover and that his children are shielded from the understandable interest in the news that has been shared.”

The Princess of Wales received an influx of well wishes from fans after news broke, with world leaders joining in in wishing Kate well.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte And Prince Louis Start Lambrook School

The Wales family are spending Easter at Amner Hall in Norfolk (Image: Getty)

The Princess delivered her message in a two-minute video filmed in the grounds at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

She is said to have felt duty-bound to share her diagnosis, with King Charles opening up about his just months prior.

“The Princess wrote the statement herself and they are entirely her words,” a source said. The Prince and Princess of Wales are said to be “overwhelmed” by the support shown after the video aired.

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “The Prince and Princess are both enormously touched by the kind messages from people here in the UK, across the Commonwealth and around the world in response to Her Royal Highness’ message. They are extremely moved by the public’s warmth and support and are grateful for the understanding of their request for privacy at this time.”

Prince William is expected to return to duties after spending Easter with Kate and their three children at their Amner Hall home in Norfolk.

The message was carefully timed to be aired once their children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis – had broken up from school for the Easter break.

Leading cancer charities have also issued messages of support following Kate’s announcement, as cancer survivors praise her for showing bravery.

Michelle Mitchell, CEO of Cancer Research UK, said: “On behalf of everyone at Cancer Research UK, I wish Her Royal Highness a full, swift recovery and return to good health. During this difficult time, it’s important that the Princess is given the time and space to focus on her treatment and that we respect the family’s privacy.”

The Prince of Wales finds himself at a moment of “extreme crisis” not seen since his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales’ tragic death in 1997, when he was 15. The heir to the throne must now grapple with his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales,’ cancer diagnosis in addition to his father, King Charles III’s, same health battle. The next king must wade through it all while adhering to the duties expected of a future monarch, which would make his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, proud.

SOURCE: MEGAPrince William may have to guide the monarchy, ‘for months.’
The future king now essentially stands alone in steadying the ship of the monarchy and must do it without the help of his estranged younger brother, Prince Harry, who lives in a mansion with ex-actress Meghan Markle, in Montecito, Calif. His stepmother, Queen Camilla, along with his aunt, Princess Anne, uncle, Prince Edward, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, are the only senior working royals in public view “for months to come.”

The Princess of Wales was originally scheduled to return to front-line royal duties “after Easter.” Still, insider sources in Kensington Palace, which is William and Kate’s official office, now say that Her Royal Highness could be “out until September.”

A royal source shared that “William is doing his best, one minute he’s doing the school run and now he is under incredible stress.” They then added that His Royal Highness “is a heartbeat away from the throne and he has his beastly brother and all of this publicity floating around.”

On top of this, the future king must take care of his and his princess’ three children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte, while the future queen grapples with preventative chemotherapy treatments.

SOURCE: MEGAThe Prince of Wales is having to come to terms with both his wife and father’s cancer diagnoses.
“The Prince of Wales is once again being tested to the extreme, which is something we all encounter at some point in our fragile lives,” another palace insider stated. “I have no doubt this he will rise to the challenge, and every engagement he goes on, he will have a smile on his face and be thoroughly dedicated to the causes or concerns of those he meets.”

They continued: “And he will do all of this, for months on end, with a weight on his shoulders that would send many crying to their bed in desperation. Prince William has both the compassion of his mother, but also the steely determination of the late Queen Elizabeth II. This will serve him well.”

William and Harry during Diana, Princess of Wales’ funeral procession, September 6, 1997.
Prince William’s immense stress regarding his wife’s serious illness also comes amid a “ruthless and heartless” social media campaign that parodied and speculated about Princess Kate’s whereabouts and health for months.

“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,” a royal source pointed out.