Prince William has returned to royal duty while Kate Middleton is recovering from her abdominal surgery. The future king has been seen in public many times after returning from his short break to take care of his wife and children, and a few times, he has even given short updates on how his wife is doing.
Meanwhile, conspiracy theories have spread online claiming the most bizarre things about Kate Middleton. It even got as far as Prince William feeling the need to address the speculations, and at the same time, he has been criticized by a royal expert for not handling the situation about his wife as well as he should’ve.
While Kate is recovering, Prince William has taken care of Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, not only when she was at the hospital but also now, as she has returned to Adelaide Cottage. His wife usually does the school runs, but now William has stepped up a notch.
Prince William, together with Queen Camilla, had to take on tremendous responsibility when his wife, Kate Middleton, and his father, King Charles, had to leave their royal duties. Kate underwent her abdominal surgery in January, and just days later, King Charles got his cancer diagnosis.
Prince William prioritizes children as Kate Middleton recovers from surgery
Prince William decided to cancel his royal duties following Kate’s surgery. He visited his wife almost daily during the 13 days she spent at The London Clinic. But besides being at her side during this difficult time, he had three other younger people to consider: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
“The kids are always at the centre of their universe, and that will continue to be the case. They want to make sure they have as much normality as possible going forwards,” a royal source told the Times in January.
Meanwhile, King Charles fully supported his son’s decision to focus on his children rather than royal duties during this challenging period.
“Charles always put duty first because that’s what his mother did,” royal author Ingrid Seward said on Hello! Magazine’s A Right Royal Podcast. “And that’s what Diana decided she wouldn’t do. I think Charles has encouraged William to spend more time with the family and also said to William, ‘I don’t want you to take on any royal duties until you absolutely have to’ because you remember we criticized William the work-shy?”
Seward added, “And that was his father very much saying, ‘You don’t have to do this, be with your young family. Enjoy it while you can. You’ve got years and years and years of royal duties to do.’”
In January, Seward also said it’s “pretty unusual” for William to cancel engagements because Kate’s not doing well, but he has become a “modern man.”
New Kate Middleton picture published in the US
Prince William and his wife have been very quiet about releasing additional information about her recovery. Only a few statements have been released by Kensington Palace. The latest one came last week when they stated Kate is doing well.
Although William has given some minor updates when out on royal duty, many have been annoyed that they won’t provide any more information or details about what is happening with the Princess of Wales. And things didn’t get easier a few days ago.
Kate Middleton had been out of sight for almost a little more than a month when she was caught on camera sitting in the passenger seat alongside her mother, Carole when driving off at Windsor. The photo, published by American news outlet TMZ, went viral, but no UK paper picked it up.
“There are pap picture of the Princess of Wales. We are not running them out of respect for her privacy whilst she recovers from her operation in the timescale we were given for it,” Chris Ship, ITV’s royal editor, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “As far as I know, no other UK broadcaster or newspaper has published the photos either.”
Although the papers didn’t publish it, anyone with internet access could see the picture. Some experts speculated whether Kate had “staged” for it to be taken, while others argued that if that were the case, she gladly would have posed for pictures outside the car.
No matter what, the fact that the Princess of Wales obviously has yet to want to release a picture of herself has made many question whether she really is doing well.
Meanwhile, royal expert Daniela Elser states that Prince William and Kate Middleton may have underestimated the public’s demands regarding what they feel they are entitled to rather than should.
“Was Kensington Palace and William’s Kate blackout a gross miscalculation? In an age where the public demands greater accountability and transparency, was this plan always going to come to grief?” Elser asked in a column for News.com.au. “How much privacy and space does a future Queen get, need, or deserve?”
Prince William criticized over latest Kate Middleton picture
“With these new images, it’s depressing that it looks a lot like Kate felt she had to let her face be seen in public to stem the tide of delirium. There is something just a bit screwy and upsetting and off-kilter about the internet rabble being able to alter the plan for the 42-year-old’s recovery.”
Moreover, Elser added that Prince William had played a part in the picture even being published. Last week, he canceled royal duty for a “personal matter,” which initially sparked speculations about Kate’s health.
It was later confirmed it wasn’t, but as the explanation was, as Elser describes as “purposefully vague,” he didn’t make it easier for his wife.
“Thus, the prince helped make the mess – why isn’t he helping clean it up? Why has it fallen to Kate, who had some sort of surgery significant enough to warrant two weeks in hospital, to dispel the grab bag of daft theories about where she is and what might be going on?” she continued.
Daniela Elser concluded her column with an analysis of the latest picture of Kate, asking if she really “look like a woman who is ready or keen to be back on display” or to be “put on public view like a museum specimen.”
“I suppose if there is one lesson to be drawn from all this is that princesses might get all the gee-gaws and diamonds they might fancy but choice? Freedom? Real independence? Maybe there’s no such thing as a free ten-bedroom Norfolk estate after all. Everything has a price,” Elser stated.
Royal family members “unsettled” by Prince William and Kate Middleton secrecy
At the same time, one royal expert now claims that there are calls from within the royal family for William and Kate to be more transparent. Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told People Magazine that it all comes back to the late Queen Elizabeth, who always felt she needed to be seen in public to ensure that she was trusted by the public and not leave them with speculations.
“Everybody feels unsettled by uncertainty, and there is too much uncertainty that is surrounding the monarchy right now,” Sally Bedell Smith said.
“Queen Elizabeth used to say, ‘I need to be seen to be believed.’ It is important for Charles and his reign for the public to know a little bit more.”
The royal expert added, “The monarchy needs to be that anchor in times of trouble, and any sense of instability, which is inevitable when you have two of the key players out of action, is understandable.”
Kate Middleton’s absence and the very few updates on her have fueled many conspiracy theories online. Some have even included William, with speculations about their marriage failing. On Thursday, a spokesperson for the Prince of Wales said that “his focus is on his work and not on social media.”
While it might not be that strange that William has decided to prioritize his wife and children, US royal expert Lauren Chen claims it’s essential to remember that he has obligations towards the Crown as a senior royal family member.
William and Kate’s importance for the royal family ‘continues to grow’
As he will as king in the future, he represents the entire nation with his father and wife, who are out of royal duty.
“It’s perhaps understandable that he didn’t attend the memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece, but I don’t blame people who are starting to wonder, if things really are that bad with Kate Middleton that her husband is unable to perform his duties, perhaps we should have an update,” Lauren Chen said, as reported by GB News.
“Obviously we expect privacy for the royals when it comes to serious matters, but I think ultimately this just goes to show how important Kate and William specifically have become to the Royal Family.”
Chen continued, saying that people “essentially” see the Prince and Princess of Wales as more important than King Charles himself. Mainly because they are a “united” family in a whole different way,
“We know that he’s [William] going to be ascending to the throne sooner rather than later, perhaps, depending on the king’s health. I hate to almost cast a dark shadow over this, but it’s simply true,” she concluded.
“Kate Middleton has been a huge part of the royal presence, especially since Meghan and Harry have left, so it goes to show how much the British public is looking to them for representation of their country.”
Prince William does all school runs – “determined” to prioritize his family
While Kate Middleton’s recovery is progressing as scheduled, Prince William has continued to take on massive responsibility at home. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are still getting to see their mother every day, but not on their way to and from school.
According to Hello! Magazine, Prince William is still responsible for all the school runs. The magazine reports that he has “been determined to make his family a priority, now more than ever, and is fitting in royal visits and engagements around the school day.”
Prince William has been determined to prioritize his family, now more than ever, and is fitting in royal visits and engagements around the school day.
Time will tell whether Kate Middleton will be back on school runs soon. For now, the country has to trust Prince William to be a very dedicated father and the face of the monarchy.
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