Prince William and Princess Kate Reportedly Feel "Intense Anxiety" About Their Royal Duties

Author Tina Brown says they're dealing with "unmanageable pressure" due to the future of the monarchy.

Prince William and Princess Kate are reportedly struggling with “unmanageable pressure” and an uncertain future in light of recent health issues in the family – including King Charles’ recent cancer diagnosis – according to a new report. In a March 25 op-ed published in The New York Times, royal author Tina Brown said the Prince and Princess of Wales are feeling the heat as they start to look toward the possibility of ascending the throne sooner than expected.

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks for the royals. The news that King Charles was battling cancer was quickly compounded by intense public scrutiny around Kate Middleton’s whereabouts earlier this year, followed by her subsequent decision to publicly reveal her cancer diagnosis on March 22. As the couple begin to plan for the future, including a more immediate prospect of becoming the King and Queen and England, they're reportedly dealing with "intense anxiety."

“A tidal wave of premature responsibility is crashing in [Kate] and William’s direction,” Brown wrote in the opinion piece, which was titled "Heavy Lies The Crown," noting that the couple felt unprepared for the sudden responsibility of the throne.

“The almost simultaneous news of Charles’s cancer has put William and Catherine in frightening proximity to ascending the throne just when they had hoped for a span of years to parent their children out of the public eye,” Brown added. “Frozen, unready, and with Catherine now seriously unwell, the Prince and Princess of Wales await the awesome burden of the crown.”

While Prince William and Princess Kate have always been the expected heirs to inherit the throne from King Charles, dealing with their responsibilities amidst a “very lean” monarchy with few working royals – a model that King Charles has long been a champion of – is reportedly proving hard to pull off with these additional stressors.

The author claimed that help from other family members is “scant” (except for that from Princess Anne and Queen Camilla) – especially with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle no longer actively involved in the day-to-day duties, travel, and appearances required of the monarchy.

Only time will tell how the family decides to adapt to these new circumstances, whether Prince Harry decides to resume some of his royal duties or, the more likely option, other members of the British monarchy step in to help lighten the load.

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