Prince William Is Preparing to Take Another Break From Royal Duties
Prince William has spent some time away from the royal spotlight over the last few weeks while his wife, Kate Middleton, recovers from abdominal surgery. Buckingham Palace made the announcement about Kate back on January 17, and William hasn’t spent much time at royal engagements ever since.
However, William did make an appearance in the public eye on February 7 when, according to Instagram, he honored “amazing people doing incredible things in our communities.” Still, royal fans can expect William to take another step back from the spotlight next week.
Prince William will care for his three children while they’re home from school
William and Kate’s kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, all attend the same school near Windsor. According to reports, the children will be off of school for a week for their winter break. During that time, it’s expected that William will not attend any official engagements, as he will be home caring for the children while Kate continues her recovery. The details on Kate’s surgery have been kept quiet, but she will require at least two months of recovery and won’t return to her royal duties until sometime around Easter — assuming the recovery goes as expected.
“The Prince has always made clear that his priority is to support his wife and family for the time being — and he did not put a timescale on that,” a royal source told Daily Mail. “He [made] a return to duties on Wednesday, but you should not expect to see him again for a bit after that.”
George, Charlotte, and Louis are still elementary school age, so it’s not so easy for them to take care of themselves. And while the Wales family does have at least one nanny, William and Kate have always taken pride in putting their kids first.
Prince William might step up while his father, King Charles, undergoes cancer treatment
In early February, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer and that he immediately began treatment. It’s unclear exactly when Charles could return to official engagements, and with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle no longer members of the royal family, William might find himself stepping up in ways he didn’t think he’d have to quite yet.
It’s assumed that Kate will return to royal duties at some point, but the Easter timeline could shift depending on her recovery process. Right now, the Wales children are too young to take on official royal duties, and Charles’ siblings have been stepping up as well. But with all of them aging, too, William could soon be carrying the monarchy on his back.
It begs the question: Would Harry ever consider returning to the royal family? Most likely not in a full-time capacity, but perhaps he could split his time in some way between California and the United Kingdom should the family need him.
