Prince William and Princess Kate are stepping further into the spotlight amid King Charles III’s ongoing cancer treatment, sources have claimed.
According to a Palace insider, the King is increasingly relying on the Prince and Princess of Wales as he shifts his focus toward his health.
“Charles is leaning on them a lot more; it’s very clear he’s seeing them as the future of the monarchy, which is exciting but also puts a ton of pressure on them both because they don’t want to let him down,” the source told The Examiner.
William, 43, remains first in line to the throne, while Kate, also 43, is easing back into royal life after publicly revealing her own cancer diagnosis last year.
Prince William and Princess Kate take on more royal responsibility amid King Charles’s health battle
Insiders have noted the couple are navigating multiple transitions behind the scenes.
Among them is the departure of Natasha Archer, Kate’s longtime personal assistant and unofficial stylist.
Archer began working for the Royal Household in 2010, the year William and Kate got engaged, and was promoted to senior private executive assistant in 2022.
Her exit was confirmed in early July, with plans to launch her own consultancy.
The Princess of Wales’s personal stylist departed Kensington Palace after 15 years to establish her own private consultancy
A Palace source told People that the Waleses’ team “wished [Archer], 37, the very best as she embarks on an exciting professional journey.”
While Charles, 76, has remained active with public appearances, insiders say the monarch is being selective with his schedule.
“He still does plenty himself, it’s not as though he’s on bed rest, but he simply can’t do everything he used to so they are being called on to step up in a big way,” the source said.
That includes contributing to more strategic discussions about the monarchy’s future. “The workload and responsibilities are ramped way up; they’re now involved in all the big picture discussions,” the insider added.
Prince William is second-in-line to the throne
“William has his ideas for how he’s going to modernise things, but he’s also got to be careful that it’s in line with his father’s vision, which does make it a little more challenging.”
Kate, now in remission, is said to be slowly resuming duties while balancing her recovery.
“Kate is easing back in and taking breaks when she needs to, but there’s no getting away from the fact that the days are very long, and now that their most trusted personal assistant is leaving, it’s added a huge weight.”
“They are being supportive of [Archer’s] decision, there’s no animosity, but it does mean they’re losing their right-hand person and will have to hire someone new and train them.”
