To King Charles, Kate Middleton has always been like the daughter he never had. Their bond has been a special one over the years, and now, they find themselves facing the same difficult battle—cancer.
As they both undergo treatment, His Majesty and his daughter-in-law have been a source of strength for each other.
Not long before her public announcement, Kate was spotted in the gardens of Windsor, where she reportedly shared a private lunch with King Charles at Windsor Castle. Recently, new details about their meeting have come to light, touching the hearts of many.
After weeks of speculation about her health and absence from public life, Kate finally broke her silence on March 22.
In an emotional video, the Princess of Wales revealed her cancer diagnosis and shared that she is now undergoing chemotherapy.
“I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, personally, for all the wonderful messages of support and for your understanding whilst I have been recovering from surgery,” Kate said in the video, seated on a bench in Windsor with daffodils blooming in the background.
“It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful. Tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” Kate continued, adding that she was in the early stages of treatment.
“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”
“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I am going to be okay,” the Princess of Wales added and asked for privacy.
Royal experts agreed that Kate’s video showed her strength and courage.
“She is inherently shy, and for her to do that took a lot,” Bedell Smith explained, adding that she got flashbacks to Queen Elizabeth II.
“When she ended with ‘You are not alone,’ it rang a bell with something that Queen Elizabeth would have said,” Bedell Smith explains. “It was very similar to what Queen Elizabeth said during COVID when she said, ‘We are all in this together.’”
“She was mindful there are very few people who read about that or watched that who doesn’t know someone who has cancer. She was mindful of that. It was a way of reassuring people not only about her condition but helping them have courage,” Sally Bedell smith added.
Kate and Charles have always been close and the fact they are now both fighting cancer brought them even closer together.
Speaking on The Royal Beat, royal commentator Victoria Arbiter noted that Charles and Kate “would have found tremendous comfort in each other, going through something so similar.”
After Kate publicly shared her health condition, the Palace released a statement on behalf of King Charles, expressing that he was “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did” and emphasizing that he has “remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks.”
Royal expert Jennie Bond sees this as yet another sign of the deep trust, respect, and support Charles has consistently shown Kate over the years.
It was Bond who revealed that Charles and Kate had lunch together at Windsor Castle less than a day before her video was released—a meeting that left Charles deeply emotional.
“There’s no doubt that cancer has cemented an already strong relationship. It’s very touching to think of Charles toddling down the corridor to see Kate when they were both in hospital. And it is understood that the King was left very emotional after their one-on-one lunch at Windsor Castle the day after she recorded her broadcast,” Bond shared.
He added, “There are so very few people in whom a senior royal can confide, certain that everything they say will be secure. I’m sure that both Charles and Kate have found it comforting to be able to discuss their emotions as well as the chemotherapy treatment and how it has made them feel.”
In Charles, Kate isn’t looking for a father figure, but the two have formed a “genuinely affectionate relationship.”
“After all, remember how Diana said Charles had always wanted a daughter. And he loves the grandchildren and now sees much more of them either at Windsor or Sandringham,” the royal expert continued.
“It must be particularly tough for the children to know that both their grandfather and their mother are ill. But I’m sure Charles, like Kate, tries to shield them from that and carries on being a fun grandpa as much as he can in their tight knit little group.”
“The King had already been made aware that the woman he calls ‘my beloved daughter-in-law’ had cancer. They would have had lots to discuss and share because just weeks earlier, the King had begun his course of treatment and dealt with announcing his diagnosis,” Bond said, with her insight into the emotional meeting being backed up by a source who spoke to The Sun.
“The King left his lunch feeling very emotional. They are very close and he thinks of Catherine as his daughter. There is no doubt there is a lot they can share and can use each other for support during their own deeply personal cancer battles.”
Although Kate is battling the battle with cancer privately and is not seen in public, she appears to be doing well.
“She says she’s getting stronger every day, so I’m sure she’s doing her best to join in the outdoor life—the picnic, barbecues, and walks on the beach,” Bond shared.
Kate Middleton has found great support in Prince William, who a longtime family friend described to People as a “reliable, strong person,” ensuring that she “doesn’t feel isolated.”
“This is about supporting her and her feeling supported,” the friend added. “It is a joint effort. She doesn’t feel isolated at all. The nuclear family that they have created so well is immense support not only to him but to Catherine, too.”
The insider continued, “It is a particular time in their lives, and I know their priority will be to look after each other. His priority is on his family, and the other questions can wait.”
Right now, Kate is focusing all her energy on spending time with the family she holds closest to her heart.