Prince William returns to fill royal void as King Charles faces cancer treatment

LONDON – With his father, King Charles III, undergoing treatment for cancer and his wife recovering from surgery, Britain’s Prince William returned to royal frontline duties on Feb 7.

The King’s shock cancer diagnosis, announced on Feb 5, and Princess Kate’s abdominal operation have left Prince William shouldering a heavy royal burden.

Prince William, 41, King Charles’ eldest son and heir to the throne, postponed public engagements to care for his wife, Princess Kate, and their three children after she was admitted to hospital on Jan 16.

But he was set to be back at work on Feb 7, handing out honours awarded to citizens for good deeds at Windsor Castle before attending the London Air Ambulance annual fundraising gala in central London.

He was also expected to take on some of his father’s duties while he undergoes treatment, with fellow senior royals Princess Anne and King Charles’ wife, Queen Camilla, helping to share the load.

Buckingham Palace has not specified the type of cancer afflicting the 75-year-old monarch, although it is understood not to be prostate cancer.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it was “caught early”.

The diagnosis comes just 17 months into his reign following the death of his 96-year-old mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept 8, 2022.

‘Very deep’ rift

Adding to the drama, the King’s estranged son, Prince Harry, flew to Britain from his US home on Feb 6.

Shortly afterwards, a relaxed-looking King Charles was seen leaving his Clarence House residence in London for Sandringham, his country estate in eastern England.

The news sparked immediate speculation it could serve as a catalyst to heal the family tensions that have blighted the start of King Charles’ reign.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, however, described the rift between Prince Harry, also known as the Duke of Sussex, and the rest of the royal family as “very deep”.

Prince Harry has a particularly fractious relationship with his brother, Prince William.

People expressed sympathy for Prince William, who they noted now faced the double burden of maintaining his family life with official duties.

“He’s got a hard job because his wife is (doing) poorly at the moment, so that’s an added pressure on poor William, but I’m sure that he will cope,” pensioner Sue Hazell told AFP outside Buckingham Palace, another of the King’s London homes, on Feb 6.

Princess Kate is expected to be out of action until at least March 31, her Kensington Palace office said.

Officials have not given details of her surgery except to say it was not linked to cancer.

Canadian tourist Sarah Paterson, a 44-year-old entrepreneur, said Prince William must be “beside himself”, given the recent deaths of his grandfather and his grandmother, along with the health problems faced by his father and his wife.

But she said she was “1,000 per cent” confident that Prince William would be a good stand-in, adding: “I think he’ll probably be king sooner than he hoped.”

The King won plaudits for being open about his condition, a break from tradition for a family that is renowned for being extremely discrete about personal health issues.

“It’s a great image to have someone who speaks about his problems like this,” Italian tourist Giacomo Lanza, 22, said. AFP

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