The Promise Prince William Made Michael And Carole Middleton When He Married Kate

William, Prince of Wales bypassed the tradition of asking his wife-to-be's father for permission to marry her; instead he asked Catherine, Princess of Wales first and then went to her father. But that doesn't mean that he ignored Kate's parents and what they might want for her future with him. William apparently made a promise to Kate's dad Michael Middleton and her mom Carole Middleton about the life that he'd give Kate when the two of them got married; he "promised Kate's parents that he would protect and look after her," Jennie Bond, years-long royal commentator for the BBC told OK! (via Mirror UK).

That promise is apparently causing William some stress, as Kate has been facing a number of controversies in recent months, gossip that he doesn't seem to be able to put a stop to or protect her from. It started in late 2023 with the publication of Omid Scobie's book "Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy's Fight for Survival." A Dutch version of the book, which got pulled from the shelves, apparently named Kate, along with King Charles III, as one of the royals who discussed what color skin the first baby of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex would have. This was first brought up by Harry and Meghan during their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, though they didn't name any names.

That controversy pales in comparison to the rumors about Catherine, Princess of Wales and her health in the wake of her abdominal surgery in January 2024, and the limited response from William, Prince of Wales regarding the conspiracies about Kate's absence from the public eye has done little to stop the rumors flying. Then there's the photo editing controversy, which only seemed to send the rumors into overdrive — on Mother's Day in the U.K., an Instagram post of Kate with her three kids on the official Prince and Princess of Wales page was called out over having been edited. Kate apologized shortly after, implying she was the one who had edited the photo.

Kate certainly seems to be stuck in the midst of a PR crisis which no amount of pre-wedding promises can protect her from. But while William doesn't seem able to fulfill his promise to Michael and Carole Middleton when it comes to speculation about Kate's health, it seems more than likely that he's fulfilling it behind the scenes and at home as he's helping her recover and helping give their kids a sense of normalcy at this time.

Along with promising Michael and Carole Middleton that he'd look after Catherine, Princess of Wales when they got married, William, Prince of Wales evidently reassured Kate that even as she joined his famous family, she wouldn't be taken away from her own. Kate does seem to have stayed close with her parents since becoming royalty, and they have been invited to a number of royal events over the years, including King Charles III's coronation. Being close with her parents has no doubt helped Kate, as both her mom and dad have reportedly been able to help Kate and the kids after her surgery.

William took practical steps to ease Kate's transition into the royal family by reportedly arranging counseling sessions for Kate before they got married to help her navigate her unique life as wife to a someday king. Indeed, the future of the monarchy lies with William, Kate, and their three children, so it makes sense that all eyes are on them during this time of royal uncertainty.