The King's firm two-word response to Prince William's hopes of scaling back his royal duties following Princess Catherine's cancer diagnosis has been revealed by a royal expert.
Back in March 2024, the Princess of Wales shared a poignant video confirming the news that she had been diagnosed with cancer following abdominal surgery and was set to undergo chemotherapy treatment.
In the moving statement, Kate talked of the "huge shock" of the news and touched on the difficulties of having to explain her diagnosis to her and William's children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
"Most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be okay," she said.
The announcement came shortly after King Charles, who marked his 77th birthday last week, shared the news that he had been diagnosed with cancer himself and was receiving treatment.
Now, it's been reported that his wife and father's health battles prompted a request from Prince William to take a step back from his busy schedule - but the King is said to have had other ideas.
According to Robert Jobson's new book The Windsor Legacy: A Royal Dynasty of Secrets, Scandal and Survival, William urged King Charles to scale back his own royal work and take a break. He also reportedly had hopes that he could reduce his own royal engagements in order to focus on supporting his family and Kate's recovery.
However, Jobson says that King Charles was very much against the idea and was firm in his response, having told his son to simply "think again".
Despite Charles' reluctance to let Prince William abandon his duties in light of Catherine's health struggles, the royal author tells of how the King and Princess of Wales' cancer battles strengthened their bond.
"Like William, he became a ‘beacon of strength’ to the princess. The two had a private one-to-one lunch at Windsor Castle the day before Catherine’s pre-recorded video was aired," Jobson writes.
"There, they were able to offer each other support. After it was shown, Charles issued a palace statement saying he was ‘so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did."
