How Kate Middleton And King Charles' Concurrent Health Issues Impacted Their Relationship

Kate Middleton can consider herself to be a very lucky person. That's not just because she has fabulous hair, but also because she has a very strong bond with her father-in-law, King Charles III. But their concurrent health issues have impacted their relationship in a way that no one would have expected. 

It's not every day that you get two major announcements from the royal family. Yet, back in January 2024 that's exactly what happened when Kensington Palace revealed that the Princess of Wales had undergone abdominal surgery. A few hours later, Buckingham Palace also released a statement that said the King of England would be hospitalized also, as he was going to have corrective surgery for an enlarged prostate. Of course, we now know that King Charles is battling cancer as well. 

It's very rare to have two senior members of the royal family out of commission at the same time, which is why Kate is reportedly very concerned about not only King Charles, but her husband William, Prince of Wales, and the monarchy as well. That's probably also why so many people are interested in the relationship and dynamic between the princess and the king.

In January 2024, both Kate Middleton and King Charles III were hospitalized at the same time at The London Clinic. While the future queen of England was still recovering at the facility, King Charles had paid her a visit. Clearly, the King of England cared deeply enough to want to see how she was doing. A few days later, King Charles was seen smiling and waving to the public after he was discharged from the hospital while Kate managed to slip out unseen to continue her recovery at home with her family.

However, it was also reported that the Princess of Wales was worried about how her husband Prince William was going to take on the extra work left behind by his father. Royal expert Christopher Andersen told Fox News in an interview that Kate was "worried about the psychic toll these twin medical battles are having on her husband." 

The same report said that Kate and King Charles have been bonding over their health crises. Back in October 2023, during a speech that he gave at a state banquet in Nairobi, Kenya, he sweetly mentioned the Princess of Wales. According to The New York Post, the King said at the time, "It was here, in sight of Mount Kenya, that my son, The Prince of Wales, proposed to his wife, now my beloved daughter-in-law..."

Even though Kate Middleton also has every reason to be worried about her father-in-law's health, Prince William seems to be handling everything on his end. While his wife was still in recovery mode, he made an appearance with Tom Cruise at a gala fundraising dinner in London and also walked the red carpet solo at the BAFTA Awards. Both Kate and King Charles can rest easy knowing William's got things under control.

There's a very good chance that Kate's relationship with King Charles will strengthen even more after this period in their lives. Then again, anyone who has been paying attention to the royal family over the years will know that King Charles has always had a soft spot in his heart for his daughter-in-law. When the Prince and Princess of Wales announced their engagement in November 2010, a then Prince Charles expressed just how excited he was about gaining a daughter-in-law in Kate. He even joked about how long it took William and Kate to get engaged in the first place. He said, per the New Yorker, "We're obviously thrilled, thank you very much. They've been practicing for long enough."