Prince William Is in ‘A Lot of Pain’ Over Prince Harry Rift: ‘It’s Hard For’ Princess Kate ‘To See’

Princess Kate doesn’t want Prince William wasting another minute dwelling on things he can’t change, a source tells Closer.

Between his estrangement from Prince Harry and the “enormous responsibility” of one day taking the throne, the 44-year-old future king and father of three has “the weight of the world on his shoulders,” reveals the source, and “struggles to keep a lid on his emotions.”

“It’s especially hard for Kate to see him so consumed with anger and bitterness,” says the source, adding that beneath William’s “bluster,” there’s “a lot of pain over this situation” with Harry, 41, who is currently back in the U.K. for the 2027 Invictus Games countdown.

“She knows this isn’t his true nature and she’s determined to help him get out of this terrible headspace he’s in,” the source shares, if not for himself then for their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.

Kate, 44, “keeps reminding” William “that he’s got so many positive things going on in his life, if he’d only allow himself to focus on them,” says Closer‘s source. “They’ve got this wonderful summer to spend precious time together as a family before George is off” to boarding school.

Come fall, the couple’s eldest son will attend William’s alma mater Eton College, a Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed to People last month.

“To her, it’s crucial that he soaks this time in because it won’t last forever,” the source notes. “The kids are growing up so fast. Life is moving forward.”

Fortunately, “William does listen to Kate,” reveals the source. “She’s probably the only person who can really get through to him and she has managed to shake a bit of sense into him, but there’s a lot more work to do.”