It is often said that the throne is a lonely place, and this seems especially true for Prince William. However, in the case of the heir to the British throne, he is the one who chose to reduce his circle of relationships to a minimum, especially when it comes to the cancer diagnoses of his wife, Kate Middleton, and his father, King Charles III.

This past March 22, Kate and William made public the Princess’s cancer diagnosis. Weeks earlier, on February 5, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the king also suffered from cancer. No further details have been given, including the types of cancer each suffers from.

Since then, according to a family friend, Prince William “is not leaning on too many others.” Another source close to the family confirmed to People magazine that the Prince trusts only his “nuclear family unit.” This close family includes Kate’s family: Her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and her siblings, Pipa and James.

Carole Middleton’s vital support

People’s sources assured that Carole has become a great source of support for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge since, according to one of the sources, “you can let down your barriers when it’s your mother.”

William himself has become very close to his mother-in-law in these times of crisis, as they were recently spotted chatting in a pub near his residence in Anmer Hall. “I imagine he is leaning on them (his in-laws) really hard,” said the insider.

Carole has been a pillar for her daughter right now. Since this past January, when Kate underwent abdominal surgery, Carole has been with her every step. From accompanying her during her stay in the hospital to taking her grandchildren to and from school, the Middleton matriarch has not left Kate alone.

The opinion of the analysts

Ingrid Seward, an expert on royal affairs, explained that King Charles’ condition has caused some of his responsibilities to fall on his heir. This is due, above all, to Prince Harry’s break with the royal house, especially with his father and brother.

Seward explained, “William would have always imagined he would have Harry alongside him. Going forward, that puts responsibility more on William and his family. There is no one else to take the slack.”

However, the royal biography assured that at this time, William’s main concern is wife’s health. The next few months will be vital to know how the current dilemma of the royal family develops, and only then will it be known if the Prince’s decisions were correct or not.