Prince William Finds Royal Duties ‘Stressful’ as King Charles and Kate Middleton Battle Cancer

Prince William has had to shoulder the majority of royal public duties as his father, King Charles III, and his wife, Princess Kate Middleton, have been sidelined while both are battling cancer, which has left him overwhelmed.

“It’s been stressful,” a source told Us Weekly ​on Wednesday, April 16. “William feels a profound sense of duty to uphold the monarchy’s stability and inspire confidence in the public that everything will be OK. It’s an immense responsibility.”

Not only has William, 41, been carrying the load of royal duties in the absence of his father and wife, he’s also been there for Kate, 42, as she’s undergoing preventative chemotherapy treatment after the presence of cancer was discovered following a major abdominal operation in January.

The former air ambulance pilot is also a hands-on father to the couple’s three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.

“After William’s dad and Kate’s diagnoses, he shut down for a couple of days,” a second source told the publication. “He canceled all meetings and spent time with Kate. Then he picked himself back up again because he knew it was up to him to be strong for the whole family.”

“He’s trying to keep up a sense of stability. He helps the kids with homework and reads to them at night,” explained the insider, “little things to make life more normal for them.”

William had a brief respite from public royal duties after Kate announced her cancer diagnosis in a video shared on March 22. That coincided with the kids’ last day of school before their spring break. The family was able to retreat to their country house, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, England, to spend time together, although the prince will to royal duties on Thursday, April 18, after the children returned to classes.

The Prince of Wales will visit a food redistribution charity and a youth center in Surrey and West London to “spotlight the community and environmental impact organizations in the area are having through their work,” Kensington Palace said on Tuesday, April 16.

During his break from royal duties, William was able to give George a sense of normalcy by having a father-son outing at an Aston Villa soccer game in Birmingham, England, on April 11. He also reportedly managed to duck into a pub in Norfolk with his mother-in-law, Carole Middleton, to grab a pint of beer, as she’s been helping with Kate’s medical situation as well as being an attentive grandmother to their children.