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Kate Middleton Feeling ‘Pressure’ to Return to Royal Duties and ‘Be Even More Perfect Than Before’
He created the position just for her. Buckingham Palace announced in April that King Charles III “has been graciously pleased to appoint Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales” to be a “Royal Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour.” The new title gifted to Princess Kate is historic, as it makes Prince William’s wife the first member of Britain’s royal family to ever be appointed to the order, which was founded 107 years ago to recognize service to the arts, sciences, medicine and public service and is restricted to just 65 members.
Kate is grateful to be honored by the monarch — but it’s also sparked some more complicated feelings. In the wake of her cancer diagnosis earlier this year following a mysterious January abdominal surgery, Kate — who hasn’t been seen in public since revealing her health crisis to the world in a video on March 22 — pulled back from royal duties as she continued to heal from her operation and quietly began chemotherapy. And, Life & Style has learned, it will be some time before she’ll step out as the order’s new Royal Companion, or in any other public-facing role, with her return to work further delayed as she focuses on getting well.
“While no one is pushing Kate to do anything but recover, she’s still feeling a lot of pressure to get back to her duties and to be even more perfect than before,” explains a source, who notes that the mother of Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, was originally expected to resume appearances after Easter before experiencing a set back. “She’s taking time to heal, but caring for her kids, being a good spouse to William, and her responsibility to her work are weighing heavily on Kate.”
A longtime follower of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s policy of “never complain, never explain,” Kate has suffered in silence in recent months. But when Kensington Palace released a clearly doctored photo of the princess and her children to mark U.K. Mother’s Day in March, speculation about her health and questions about the need to alter a picture to present some ideal image exploded. The situation prompted the once inscrutable princess, 42, to apologize for causing confusion with her photo editing and, days later, to finally reveal her cancer news. She received an outpouring of sympathy and support. However, Kate has continued to feel a need “to get back into the swing of things,” says the source. “She doesn’t want the world to see her like this, and she doesn’t want to delay getting back to work as a royal even more, either.”
Yet she must. “The princess is still undergoing treatment,” shares the source, “which is exhausting.” With any energy she does have, “Kate’s first instinct as a mother is to give George, Charlotte and Louis all her attention,” adds the source, “but she’s struggling with trying to do it all.”
It’s been tough to watch the king return to more public royal duties in April following his own unspecified cancer diagnosis in February. “Kate has guilt that Charles, who’s also battling cancer, is out there doing his part,” says the source. The 75-year-old just wants Kate to recover, though. Following her cancer reveal, Charles issued a statement praising his “beloved daughter-in-law,” sharing he felt “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did.”
The slimmed-down monarchy has also added to the strain. With Prince Andrew, 64, Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan Markle, 42, no longer in the official fold, other relatives have had to take on more, with speculation that non-working royals will soon be tapped to help out. “It doesn’t help that William has been away from home more, so Kate’s main support and shoulder to lean on isn’t always around,” says the source, admitting that though Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, 69, has been helping care for the kids, “William’s absence makes things more difficult.”
Kate’s been honest with William, 41. “She told him about the pressure she’s feeling,” says the source. “He was sympathetic and supportive, insisting she stop worrying and take as much time as is needed.” Instead of feeling wholly reassured, however, his response made her question everything, says the source, including her value to the royal family and who she is without her titles. Notes the source: “She’s spiraled at times.”
Ultimately, though, Kate knows that her health needs to be her top priority. So she’s been trying to make peace with the situation and treat this recovery period as one of her duties, adds the source: “Her decision to stay in hiding might be shocking to some. But Kate wants to make sure she’s here for her family — and the crown — for a long time.”
