Update on Prince William’s Mental Health Amid Royal Family Health Scares

Prince William is doing “ok” amid the back-to-back health scares that have rocked the British royal family. Although William has maintained a professional and happy demeanor during his recent official engagements amid his father King Charles III’s cancer diagnosis and his wife Kate Middleton’s own recovery from an abdominal surgery in January, sources close to the Prince of Wales acknowledged that he feels the weight of the crisis.

“Privately, he’s dealing with more than he has for a long time in his life and it’s tough to see. He is OK, but it is hard,” a friend told The Times of the prince, 41.

The health crisis currently afflicting the royal family was first announced to the public on Jan. 17 when Kensington Palace shared that the Princess of Wales underwent a “successful… planned abdominal surgery” and would “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.” Just hours later, Buckingham Palace announced that His Majesty “sought treatment for an enlarged prostate,” which was described as “benign,” and would undergo “a corrective procedure.” In early February, as Middleton continued her recovery at home, the Palace revealed, “During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.”

More than just the health crisis, William is also dealing with the speculation surrounding his wife and controversy following her Mother’s Day family photo, which was heavily edited and prompted several news organizations to push a “kill notification” for clients using the photo. Questions like “Where is Kate Middleton?” have flooded social media, prompting rumors about the extent of her health crisis and even the status of her marriage to William.

A source told The Times that William is “really upset that his wife is having to go through all of this with her recovery, and then having to think about making statements about a family photo.” A second source added that “these are people with three small children going through the hardest time they’ve had to go through as a family, with that as an awful backdrop. They are trying to keep things as normal as possible for the kids, but it’s not easy.”

Amid the health struggles afflicting two people so close to him, a royal insider said William is finding support in Ian Patrick, his new private secretary. The source said Patrick, a former diplomat who was appointed MBE for international peacekeeping, “is fabulous – thank God he arrived at the perfect moment. He’s fantastic, really calm, super smart. He is perfect for William, and William is really pleased he’s there. He’s been funny, calm and very clear about not reacting to everything.”