Kate Middleton and Prince William are reportedly struggling to adjust to a new way of life following the announcement of Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnosis. They are said to be dealing with intense turmoil, which is further exacerbated by the immense responsibility of being frontline royals. According to royal expert Tina Brown, who authored The Diana Chronicles and The Palace Papers, the responsibilities of the monarchy are weighing on the couple.
Brown writes in an editorial for The New York Times, “I am told the turmoil behind the scenes has been intense, resulting in what has felt like a series of baffling press screw-ups. We hear often of Prince Harry’s hatred of the press. If possible, Prince William – while concealing it better – hates the press even more.”
She continues, “His bloody-minded determination to stick to his grandmother Queen Elizabeth’s script of ‘never complain, never explain’ is magical thinking in the era of the social media maelstrom. It created a vacuum filled by rumor and deranged conspiracy theories.”
“The almost simultaneous news of Charles’s 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. The prospect of it, I am told, is causing them intense anxiety.”
Brown concludes, “Catherine is battling much more than cancer. 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.”
Tina Brown believes the late monarch has something to do with the crown’s current instability. “It may not be a popular thought. But in many ways, I blame the predicament and weakness of the monarchy today on Queen Elizabeth.” She writes, “It’s possible that future generations will see her as the Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the British monarchy. Thus, she stayed too long. By doing so, left behind a legacy that may be the opposite of what she wanted.”
Brown believes Elizabeth should have stepped down after her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Instead, Elizabeth II stayed on for some 10 years to the end of her life in 2022. “But her 70-year reign has left a pileup of heirs. Infantilized by too little to do and trapped by a dusty structure that should have been reformed decades ago,” Brown declares.
Kate Middleton will continue treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. Her return date to royal duties is undetermined. Prince William has scheduled royal engagements he will undertake on behalf of the crown. Over the next three weeks, the couple will enjoy a lengthy spring break with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. The family will miss the tradition of attending Easter church service at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle with members of the royal family this weekend.
King Charles will also remain, for the most part, out of the public eye while he receives cancer treatment. Other royal family members will represent the slimmed-down monarchy in Charles and Kate’s place. These royals include Camilla, Queen Consort, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
