Kate Middleton, like anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, has been through a tough year. After announcing she'd completed chemotherapy in September, she's slowly been returning to royal duties as she continues to recover—and one royal biographer claims that faith has been a part of cancer journey.
In Robert Hardman's updated version of Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story (serialized in the Daily Mail on Nov. 2), the author wrote about matters of religion and how they impact members of the Royal Family on different levels.
While King Charles is well known to uphold "the late Queen's solid devotion" to the Anglican church, Hardman shared that Prince William does not have the same "interest in faith and spiritualism" as The King. Despite both his wife and father being diagnosed with cancer this year, Hardman noted that a source told him there was "no change of course there" in terms of William's religious beliefs.
An insider told the author that the Prince of Wales "is a modern young man and I think he gets embarrassed by certain aspects of ceremonial and religion."
However, according to a "church-going friend of the family," the Princess of Wales seems to share a different opinion than her husband in the wake of her recent cancer diagnosis. "I would say that things are more hopeful there," the insider told Hardman, referencing her interest in spiritual matters.
The biographer noted that Princess Kate "is said to have become rather more interested in questions of faith as a result of her condition."
And while Prince William isn't particularly religious, the book claims that "when the time comes, he will observe all his constitutional obligations to the Church of England" in his role as King. That doesn't mean that the public should expect William to "suddenly become a regular worshipper or feign an enthusiasm for something that he does not feel personally," Hardman added.
As for the Princess of Wales, Hardman delved into the "deranged" conspiracy theories that surrounded her absence from public life before her cancer diagnosis was announced to the world. Quoting an aide to King Charles, he pointed out that because "no constitutional responsibility sits on the Princess of Wales and never will," the Waleses decided to wait and release the information when they felt ready.
"She plays an absolutely vital supporting role to the Prince of Wales and in bringing up their children who are in the line of succession," the source added. "But she herself is not. Her situation is different and it can be treated differently."
