Prince William is apparently a "regular" at the Lambrook School gates and won't be "fazed" being in charge at home while Kate is recovering in hospital.
The Royal Family typically starts the year by easing back into public duties, but fans won’t be seeing the Princess of Wales wrapped up in her best wool jumpers attending engagements for many more months. On 17th January Kensington Palace revealed that she was currently recovering in hospital after “planned abdominal surgery”. This was "successful", however they added that current medical advice indicates Kate won’t return to her duties until after Easter.
Prince William is also not undertaking duties whilst she’s in hospital as he looks after their three children. However, it’s been suggested that being in charge whilst Kate is away won’t "faze" the future King, who’s apparently a "very confident" hands-on dad.
"He is a regular at the school gate and events and he's very hands-on as a dad, so being in charge while Kate is away won't faze him," a source claimed to Hello! Magazine, adding, "They often do things as a full family unit and he's very confident looking after the kids."
They also suggested that Prince William’s fellow Lambrook parents will have been "rallying round" to offer help after being “shocked” by the Palace’s statement.
The source continued, "Everyone was very shocked and concerned when they heard. The Lambrook parents are a close-knit group and William and Kate have absolutely become part of it, so I'm certain their class groups will be rallying round to offer any help they can."
The decision to share a statement being open about the Princess of Wales’s health is something that some view as a sign of the monarchy’s evolving approach. Meanwhile, Majesty Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Ingrid Seward considers Prince William’s choice to stop engagements whilst Kate is in hospital as similarly significant and "modern".
"William is incredibly supportive as a husband. It's pretty unusual for the Prince of Wales to cancel engagements because his wife isn't well – that certainly wouldn't have happened in the past – but he's a modern man whose family is more important to him than anything else," she declared.
Whilst Prince William is “in charge” of everything at Adelaide Cottage and being a "hands-on" dad to Prince George, Charlotte and Louis, he was also publicly seen visiting Kate in hospital on 18th January when the children were at school.
The Princess is set to remain at the London Clinic until 10-14 days after her surgery when she will return home "to continue her recovery" there. According to the BBC, Prince William won’t be carrying out official duties "immediately after she is discharged", as well as whilst she is in hospital. It’s not known when he will resume engagements, though the Palace stated it’s unlikely Kate will be undertaking duties until after Easter at the end of March.
This means that there are plenty of big occasions, including the BAFTAs 2024 to the Easter Sunday church service attended by the Royal Family where Prince William might attend without Kate for the first time in years.
