Inside Kate’s close bond with the King: Pair’s shared cancer battles ‘cemented’ special relationship

Inside Kate’s close bond with the King: Pair’s shared cancer battles ‘cemented’ special relationship

Princess of Wales’ message in full as she thanks supporters for ‘kindness’
The Princess of Wales revealed yesterday that she has finished her course of ‘preventative chemotherapy’ following her health crisis earlier this year and plans to undertake a ‘light programme’ of public engagements over the coming months.

King Charles, 75, and Queen Camilla, 77, are understood to have welcomed the announcement as ‘wonderful news’ and will continue to offer all love, thoughts and support to Kate on her continued path to full recovery.

The monarch, who announced his own cancer diagnosis in February, shares a close bond with his ‘beloved daughter-in-law’ – and their shared health struggles have only ‘cemented’ that special relationship, one well-placed source told The Telegraph recently.

So much so, Kate appeared to include a special tribute to the King in her moving three-minute video, which was released yesterday and showed the Princess and Prince William celebrating her recovery alongside their three children.

In an incredibly touching nod, Prince Louis, six, is captured flying through the air on a wooden swing in the grounds of Anmer Hall in Norfolk. It is thought the garden furniture is the one gifted to the Prince and Princess of Wales by Charles for their 2011 wedding.
The then-Prince Charles and Kate Middleton at the World premiere of No Time To Die in London, September 2021

The then-Prince Charles and Kate Middleton at the World premiere of No Time To Die in London, September 2021
Elsewhere in the heartwarming clip, the royal made a special mention to those who are ‘continuing their own cancer journey’. She said: ‘I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.’

It’s a message that will touch almost everyone around the nation who has been affected by cancer in some way or another – and for Kate, there may have been a particular family member she had in mind.

Earlier this year, Kate’s father-in-law King Charles was diagnosed with cancer and began treatment shortly afterwards. He, too, had undertaken limited public engagements throughout the year as his treatment was ongoing.

In recent times, Charles and Kate’s close bond has regularly been proven, including at Trooping the Colour this summer, when the Princess made her triumphant return to public life by joining the Royal Family for the King’s Birthday Parade in London.

In a departure from last year, when King Charles stood next to his heir Prince William, this time arund, he stood next to Kate.

This was significant, according to body language expert Judi James, as she explained to FEMAIL at the time: ‘Charles made Kate his centre of attention to signal both how much she is cherished and how grateful he was at her attendance.’

It has long been thought that the King and the Princess are close thanks to their shared interests in the arts, among other reasons.

Judi told FEMAIL: ‘Charles has always had an increasingly special relationship with Kate, who he has grown to trust and delight in.

Kate appeared to include a special tribute to the King in her moving three-minute video, which was released yesterday. Prince Louis , six, is captured flying through the air on a wooden swing in the grounds of Anmer Hall in Norfolk. It is thought the garden furniture is the one gifted to the Prince and Princess of Wales by Charles for their 2011 wedding

Kate appeared to include a special tribute to the King in her moving three-minute video, which was released yesterday. Prince Louis , six, is captured flying through the air on a wooden swing in the grounds of Anmer Hall in Norfolk. It is thought the garden furniture is the one gifted to the Prince and Princess of Wales by Charles for their 2011 wedding
The Princess of Wales (pictured in her video with her family) revealed yesterday that she has finished her course of ‘preventative chemotherapy’ following her health crisis earlier this year and plans to undertake a ‘light programme’ of public engagements over the coming months

The Princess of Wales (pictured in her video with her family) revealed yesterday that she has finished her course of ‘preventative chemotherapy’ following her health crisis earlier this year and plans to undertake a ‘light programme’ of public engagements over the coming months
‘Here though, that relationship was highlighted to illustrate how those bonds have only deepened and enriched by their bonds of empathy created by their illnesses.’

Recently, a royal expert claimed that Charles has ‘always had a great respect for Kate’ and would ‘compare notes’ with her on their hospital’s food during their ‘affectionate’ meetings about their respective cancer treatments.

The pair both received treatment at the London Clinic in Harley Street earlier this year.

Appearing in the Channel 5 documentary Kate: A Queen for the Future, the Daily Mail’s editor-at-large Richard Kay discussed Charles and Kate’s meetings during their time as patients in the hospital.

Richard explained: ‘The King actually made a point of going to see Kate and there’s this rather touching story of [Charles] in his dressing gown padding down to his daughter-in-law’s floor.

‘They compared notes about the rather good hospital food, how their treatment was going. It was a moment of great affection.’

The London Clinic’s head chef Paul O’Brien leads a team which provides customised meals for patients that also source ingredients from Home Counties farms.

Elsewhere in the documentary, The Telegraph’s royal correspondent India McTaggart said King Charles has always valued the Princess of Wales.

The then-Duchess of Cambridge and Prince of Wales have been snapped sharing a chuckle on a number of occasions, including during this event at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Stanford Hall in Loughborough in February 2020

The then-Duchess of Cambridge and Prince of Wales have been snapped sharing a chuckle on a number of occasions, including during this event at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Stanford Hall in Loughborough in February 2020
Images showing the closeness, such as this photo from the service of thanksgiving for the Queen at St Paul’s cathedral on June 2022 make it clear why Charles has several times said that the family is ‘lucky’ to have Kate

Images showing the closeness, such as this photo from the service of thanksgiving for the Queen at St Paul’s cathedral on June 2022 make it clear why Charles has several times said that the family is ‘lucky’ to have Kate
She explained: ‘Charles always had a lot of respect for Catherine and he said that in the wedding toast that he made. He said they were very lucky to have her and it remains true to this day.’

Later in the documentary, royal expert Robert Jobson said that Kate Middleton plays a crucial role in King Charles’ relationship with three grandchildren.

The expert said: ‘Catherine is very important in the relationship between Charlotte, George and Louis and the King.

‘When William and the King aren’t necessarily on the best of terms, as sometimes fathers and sons are, it’s always Catherine who makes sure that the King, if he wants to see his grandchildren, sees his grandchildren.’

The King reportedly thinks Kate is doing a ‘wonderful’ job bringing up George, Charlotte and Louis, and gets to spend more time with his son’s family now they live just a few minutes drive away from Windsor Castle.

Indeed, the King gave an insight into the high regard he has for Kate when he sweetly mentioned the Prince and Princess of Wales in his keynote speech at a state banquet in Nairobi.

King Charles, who was accompanied by Queen Camilla, recalled Prince William and Kate’s 2010 engagement in Kenya.

He said: ‘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.’

Prince William proposed to his then long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton in October 2010 in a log cabin while on safari at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, where he had spent part of his gap year almost a decade before.

Kate’s willingness to get stuck into any task means she has become a well-liked member of The Firm – with family members as well as the public! (Pictured trying to iron artwork onto silk during a visit to the Dulwich Picture Gallery in March 2012)
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Kate’s willingness to get stuck into any task means she has become a well-liked member of The Firm – with family members as well as the public! (Pictured trying to iron artwork onto silk during a visit to the Dulwich Picture Gallery in March 2012)
Kate is known to have a warm relationship with her father-in-law and has reportedly helped smooth the sometimes fractious relationship between the King and his son, William.

King Charles and Kate have also shown several public signs of their close relationship over the past few years.

For instance, the Princess of Wales lovingly called her father-in-law by his family nickname of ‘grandpa’ when she greeted him at a G7 reception in 2021.

Meanwhile, in April 2021, the then Duchess of Cambridge shared a kiss on the cheek with her grief-stricken father-in-law as they left Prince Philip’s funeral.

Kate consoled Charles as the pair walked out of St George’s Chapel following the emotional service in memory of the Duke of Edinburgh.

Photographs show Kate comforting the then Prince of Wales over the loss of his father by putting her hand on his shoulder. She then kissed him on the cheek as they set off from the entrance of the chapel.

Elsewhere, when greeting one another at engagements, Kate and the King will often share a friendly embrace and pecks on the cheeks.

At William and Kate’s wedding, Charles movingly described his son’s new wife as the daughter he had never had during the speech and admitted: ‘We are lucky to have her.’

In a touching speech, the clearly emotional prince paid tribute to his new daughter-in-law – but still found time to crack jokes about his eldest son and his famously thinning hairline.

Charles chose to say a few off-the-cuff words as he toasted the newlyweds at a Buckingham Palace champagne reception thrown by the late Queen for 650 guests and wished the couple a long and happy life together.

Marking his first address as the King, Charles was full of emotional pride for his son and daughter-in-law as he handed his and Camilla’s old titles to them.

‘As my Heir, William now assumes the Scottish titles which have meant so much to me,’ the royal said.

‘He succeeds me as Duke of Cornwall and takes on the responsibilities for the Duchy of Cornwall which I have undertaken for more than five decades.

‘Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty.

‘With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the centre ground where vital help can be given.’

Prince William
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Prince Philip
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