Kate Middleton is reportedly facing the possibility that she could become Queen far sooner than she expected as King Charles continues his cancer battle.
“Although the King is carrying out his duties with typical determination, he has had to accept limitations during his cancer treatment,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told People in an article published Wednesday.
“As a result, William has been taking on more responsibilities, and he and Kate have been preparing for their future roles sooner than they would have expected,” Smith added.
King Charles, 76, was coronated in May 2023 and less than a year later, in February 2024, the monarch announced that he was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer after undergoing a “routine hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement.”
An insider noted to the outlet that “there’s a sense of calm before the storm” for the Prince and Princess of Wales.
“They are next in line for the biggest job of their lives, and of course, Kate’s health has taken priority, but it’s also allowed everyone to take a step back and figure out what’s important right now.”
A clear indication that William is readying for his future role was earlier this month when he attended the official reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, on behalf of his father.
It has also been a rough year for the Princess of Wales, 42.
In January, the Palace shared that she would be undergoing major abdominal surgery.
However, cruel and wild rumors began to circulate after the mother of three was not seen in public for several months after the surgery.
They were silenced in March when the Princess shared in a highly personal video that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy.
She admitted that the diagnosis had come as a “huge shock” and they had kept the information private until their children — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — had had time to “understand and process the news before it was made public.”
In September, the royal released another video revealing that she had “finally completed my chemotherapy treatment.”
Middleton described the process as “complex, scary and unpredictable”
Her most recent public appearance was at the fourth annual “Together at Christmas” carol service at Westminster Abbey, where she was joined by Prince William and their children.
She was overheard telling pop star Paloma Faith that the year had been a difficult one for her.
“I didn’t know this year was going to be the year that I’ve just had.” Middleton shared.
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