E-Paper
Here's who Prince William and Kate Middleton ‘leant on’ during their ‘darkest days’
A royal expert reportedly noted that the royal family "pulled together as a unit" despite the "brutal" year.
A royal expert has claimed Prince William and Kate Middleton were supported by Carole and Michael Middleton during their "darkest days.” Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond noted that the family "pulled together as a unit" despite the "brutal" year, during which both Kate and King Charles were diagnosed with cancer.
In March, Kate said she was undergoing preventative treatment after being diagnosed with cancer. Bond noted how Kate’s parents supported her this year. The royal expert also referred to the handwritten thank you note Prince Louis carried during the Together at Christmas service.
‘I'm sure William and Catherine leant on them very hard’
"I think a shout-out should also go to Carole and Michael Middleton, who have undoubtedly been a vital part of the family this year, both practically and emotionally,” Bond said, according to GB News. "I'm sure William and Catherine leant on them very hard during their darkest days.”
"As we know from Louis' card on the tree at the carol service, Granny and Grandpa are great playmates for their grandchildren and have put in more than a shift or two playing games with them,” she continued. "William and Catherine have been quite generous this year in allowing their children to be seen in public."
Bond further said, "It can't be easy for young people to face cameras, crowds and scrutiny, and the natural instinct of parents is to protect their children from too much attention. But we saw them at Trooping the Colour and, of course, in the very personal video released by Catherine to mark the end of her chemotherapy, plus the carol service and Christmas walkabout. And they seem to change as every month goes by.”
She added, “A year like they have just endured must, as William said, have been brutal for the entire family. But it seems clear that they have pulled together as a unit and they look very much in harmony and delighted to be out and about together again."
Kate said in a video update in September that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment. She has already made some public appearances.
Bond told OK! of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ three children, "I don't think there's any reason to suspect we'll see more of them in 2025, but there will be the usual occasional public appearance as their parents gently acclimatise them to life in the public eye. William and Catherine should be rightly proud of their brood and proud of themselves for guiding them through this incredibly difficult year."
