Prince William has already been called out by his aunt, Princess Anne, for not pulling his weight with public appearances and royal investitures – and it seems like King Charles doesn’t want him to ease up on his workload, either!
According to reports, Prince William asked his father if he could scale back some of his royal duties when he found out about Kate Middleton‘s cancer diagnosis last year so he could prioritize life with his young family. But the King was reportedly not too sympathetic…
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Kate Middleton's Cancer Diagnosis Was 'The Hardest Year' Of Prince William's Life
Prince William was unsurprisingly struggling in early 2024, after King Charles revealed his cancer diagnosis in February and Kate revealed her own just one month later.
Royal author Robert Jobson reportedly described Prince William as "totally crestfallen," while the father-of-three himself told The Times journalist Kate Mansey that juggling royal duties with parenting children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis amid his wife's cancer battle was "brutal" and "the hardest year of my life."
And his father's response to his request to work less during that time didn't make things any easier!
King Charles' Brutal Two-Word Response To Prince William's Request To Work Less
According to The Mirror and Jobson's new book, The Windsor Legacy: A Royal Dynasty, Prince William asked his father if he could reduce his public appearances for that year – especially as he was already taking on more than usual due to stepping in for the King amid his own health issues. But he didn't get the answer he hoped for!
"Think again," King Charles reportedly told his eldest son when he asked to cut down his public engagements to just ten that year, according to Jobson's new book.
Perhaps King Charles' reaction reflects his own views on duty and work ethic, which are traits he clearly inherited from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, who devoted her life to service.
Queen Camilla has reportedly urged her husband to slow down with work amid his own health battle, but he doesn't seem inclined to do so, which may explain why he wasn't especially sympathetic to Prince William's request.
