Prince William and Kate Middleton Have ‘Intense Anxiety’ About Ascension Amid King Charles’ Illness

King Charles has been fighting cancer for months now, and news of the British monarch’s illness has led to many conversations about the ascension of his son Prince William and William’s wife, Kate Middleton. Now, it’s being reported that the couple have “intense anxiety” about eventually becoming the King and Queen of England.

According to The New York Times, the pair hoped “for a span of years to parent their children out of the public eye.” However, they now have to consider the possibility that their Royal responsibilities may be increasing sooner than they planned. The outlet notes that Kate “is the most popular member of the royal family after William,” adding, “The future of the monarchy hangs by a thread, and that thread is her.”

Likely increasing the pressure on the Prince and Princess of Wales is the reality that Kate — in addition to her father-in-law — is also battling cancer. In March, Middleton shared that when she underwent abdominal surgery two months prior, after her doctors discovered that cancer “had been present.”

“My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” Middleton explained. “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.”

Middleton went on to say that it has “taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment,” and “time to explain everything” to her children: George, Charlotte, and Louis. The British royal also said that she needs “time, space and privacy” while she completes her treatment, and added that her husband Prince William “by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance” while she is “getting better every day.”