Prince William and Princess Kate will be the next King and Queen - but this has put them under intense pressure, according to one royal expert. Photo / Getty Images
Prince William and Princess Kate will be the next King and Queen - but this has put them under intense pressure, according to one royal expert. Photo / Getty Images
Prince William is closer to the British throne than ever - but in the wake of his father King Charles’ and his wife Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnoses, he’s reportedly under “unmanageable pressure”, according to one royal expert.
Journalist Tina Brown writes in a New York Times essay that “The almost simultaneous news of Charles’ cancer has put William and Catherine in frightening proximity to ascending the throne just when they had hoped for a span of years to parent their children out of the public eye.”
William and Kate share three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
King Charles announced his cancer diagnosis earlier this year. Photo / AP
Brown, formerly the editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair, surmised that the prospect of succeeding to the throne had created a lot of stress for both William and Kate.
“The prospect of it, I am told, is causing them intense anxiety,” she wrote for the publication.
She went on to claim that Prince Andrew’s connection with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s rift with the rest of the royal family have contributed to “unmanageable pressure” on the couple.
“Catherine is the most popular member of the royal family after William,” she pointed out, adding, “The future of the monarchy hangs by a thread, and that thread is her.”
It’s not just Kate’s diagnosis that is weighing on the couple, Brown suggested.
“A tidal wave of premature responsibility is crashing in her and William’s direction ... frozen, unready and with Catherine now seriously unwell, the Prince and Princess of Wales await the awesome burden of the crown.”
She did not discuss the form of cancer she has been diagnosed with but confirmed that she is undergoing treatment, adding, “Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too, as is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.”
Kate, the Princess of Wales, is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. Photo / Kensington Palace
Buckingham Palace made an official announcement at the time, stating, “During the King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.
“His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time doctors have advised him to postpone public-facing duties. Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.”
Before announcing her own diagnosis, Kate reportedly met with her father-in-law to speak about their “common health experience”.
The King was crowned in May 2023, following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
