‘Traumas’ of the Year Have Made Prince William the Man Princess Diana ‘Always Hoped He Would Be’
2024 has undoubtedly been difficult for Prince William and the British royal family. Health issues have plagued not only his wife, Kate Middleton, but also his father, King Charles III (and other relatives). Through it all the Prince of Wales has become “stronger,” per a royal expert, and is now the person his late mother, Princess Diana, “always hoped he would be.”
William can now ‘take on whatever life throws at him’ just like Princess Diana wanted
“His father got cancer, and Kate had a serious abdominal operation, later to announce she too had to have cancer treatment,” Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, told Mirror.
Kate underwent abdominal surgery in January before the king’s own hospitalization for an enlarged prostate. Then came their cancer diagnosis announcements in February (King Charles) and March (Kate).
“William played both mother and father to the children [Prince George, 10, and Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6] while he carried on with his royal duties supporting the Queen [Camilla] in his father’s absence.”
According to the My Mother and I author, the events have changed William for the better. “The traumas of the past year have made him a stronger person,” she said. “He has become the kind of man Diana always hoped he would be; kind, considerate, and able to take on whatever life throws at him.”
The Prince of Wales is focusing on family
William’s back to work—he resumed duties in late April—but his main focus is still very much on his family. Take, for example, how he spent his birthday on June 21, 2024, at Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour concert with George and Charlotte.
The night out with viral “dad-dancing” to “Shake It Off.” Even a video of his enthusiastic dance moves hasn’t deterred William. “He is focused on his wife and children right now,” an insider told ET. “He really just wanted it to be a special night for Prince George and Princess Charlotte.”
Prior to Trooping the Colour, the king’s annual birthday parade, where Kate made her first public appearance of the year, she and William doubled down on family time.
They headed to their Norfolk, England, home for George, Charlotte, and Louis’ Easter school break on the heels of Kate’s March 2024 cancer diagnosis announcement. Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, also became a major source of support in addition to her father and siblings.
The way William and Kate handled the cancer diagnosis even drew a comparison to the late Queen Elizabeth II in times of crisis.
Kate Middleton is taking one day at a time as her cancer treatment continues
Before Trooping the Colour, Kate released an emotional social media statement. In it, the 42-year-old thanked the public for their support before acknowledging she’s “not out of the woods yet.”
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” Kate said, alongside a photo taken of her by Matt Porteous (via Instagram).
Noting her preventative chemotherapy treatment will continue for “a few more months,” Kate said when she feels “well enough,” she likes to take part in “school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.”
She also shared her “hope to join a few public engagements over the summer.” (Wimbledon’s predicted to be the place where Kate makes another appearance.) At the same time, she’s “learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty” and “taking each day as it comes.”
At the time of writing, Kate hasn’t officially returned to royal duties. Reports say that when she does eventually go back to work—proposed timelines vary—her role may look very different.
