Birthdays are a time for reflection and celebration, and Prince William is certainly celebrating his 42nd birthday with his nearest and dearest.
The Prince of Wales has been going through a lot behind the scenes in recent months. His wife Kate, 42, underwent abdominal surgery in January and then announced she was being treated for cancer, while William’s father, 75-year-old King Charles, is also being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer.
As a support for his wife and their three children – 10-year-old Prince George, nine-year-old Princess Charlotte and six-year-old Prince Louis – William also has to fulfil royal duties and support his father. All of this has been a “hard wake-up call” for the father-of-three: his life has been “brutally upset” in recent months. Еhe former BBC Royal correspondent exclusively told OK!:
“Birthdays can so often be a time to take stock, and William has a great deal to reflect on this year. At 42, he has had a difficult wake-up call that has cruelly unsettled the life he was happily enjoying. In the past few months he has had to be the rock that has steadied his wife through her illness and treatment, the dad who comforts and protects his children, and the son who has dutifully stood in for his father as the King faces his own health problems.”
On Father’s Day, a special photo of Prince William and his three children appeared on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ joint social media account. The photo shows the four of them looking out to sea together, embracing.
Kate is making good progress
Kate has shared a handful of other family photos over the last few months, showing her active involvement in her children’s life as she undergoes cancer treatment.
In a recent statement announcing her upcoming appearance at Trooping the Colour, Kate wrote:
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.”
The princess publicly shared her cancer diagnosis for the first time in late March.
