While Kate Middleton recovers from abdominal surgery in hospital, Prince William is looking after their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis alone. But the Prince of Wales reportedly isn’t ‘fazed’ about looking after them without his wife and is a ‘very confident’ parent.
Kate Middleton's recent shock admission to The London Clinic, where she underwent a successful, planned abdominal surgery, has forced the royal to not only step back from royal duties, but also her parental ones.
She is currently around halfway through her 10-14 day recovery period, during which she will remain in the hospital and away from her family.
When news broke of the operation, it was also announced that her husband, Prince William, would be stepping away from royal duties while she recovered in order to look after their kids, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis, who sit second, third and fourth in the royal line of succession respectively.
To some, William's decision came as a shock, especially considering that as King Charles is also briefly stepping away from royal duties to recover from medical treatment, William was expected to take up the royal baton as next in line to the throne. However, many experts were not surprised at all as William is a 'hands-on' dad who has long prioritised his family over royal life.
"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," Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Majesty magazine, told HELLO! Magazine.
This more modern approach to parenthood has seen William undertake many parenting duties not done before by royals. For one example, he is often seen dropping his children off at the school where Prince George is currently preparing for his Eton entry test.
Other parents at the school, along with Kate and William, have formed a 'close-knit group' and one of them recently revealed how they're rallying around William during his wife's recovery period.
"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," the source from the school told HELLO!. "They often do things as a full family unit and he's very confident looking after the kids.
"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."
Kate is expected to leave hospital to return to her family home of Adelaide Cottage in Windsor early next week, though she likely will not return to royal duties until, at the earliest, Easter.
In the meantime, keep up to date with royal news like this comment King Charles made on Prince George's first day at school is going viral years later and our exclusive story Beano artist reveals secret portrait he created for Prince George and Princess Charlotte (and we think Prince Louis will be gutted he missed out).
