King Charles and Kate Middleton’s relationship marked by years of affection and support
King Charles III is supporting his daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, after she revealed she is undergoing treatment for cancer.
According to a statement shared by a Buckingham Palace spokesperson, the British monarch is “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did.”
The palace also said the king “remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks.”
On March 22, the former Kate Middleton shared in a video message that she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy for an unspecified form of cancer.
Charles was also recently diagnosed with cancer. Buckingham Palace announced the monarch had been diagnosed with “a form of cancer” in February, leading the king to step back from public duties while he undergoes treatment.
The king and the princess had lunch together before she recorded the video announcement about her diagnosis, a source at Kensington Palace told NBC News.
This isn’t the first time Charles and Kate have shared their support for each other. Read on to learn more about their sweet connection over the years.
Kate called her future father-in-law 'very friendly'
Kate opened up about meeting the king (who then held the title of Prince of Wales) in her official engagement interview with Prince William in November 2010.
“I was quite nervous about meeting William’s father, but no, he was very, very welcoming, very friendly, so it couldn’t have gone easier, really, for me,” she said in the ITV News interview.
Charles also shared his blessing for his eldest son and his bride-to-be.
“The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton,” read a statement from Clarence House.
Charles and Kate’s easy rapport was on display from early on
After her wedding to William in April 2011, Kate stepped right into royal duties, and it appears she was trusted early on by Charles and other members of the royal family.
In October of that year, Charles asked Kate to host a charity dinner on his behalf at Clarence House, according to WWD. He asked his daughter-in-law to step in for him after he was called away at the last minute to offer condolences following the death of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
In 2012, Kate and Charles made a rare joint official appearance as they visited The Prince’s Foundation for Children and The Arts in London, England.
They were all smiles as they created artwork with children at the event.
And in 2015, Kate and her father-in-law shared what looked like another warm, smiling moment at the Commonwealth Day Service in Westminster Abbey in London.
At another point during the service, Kate was spotted greeting Charles with a peck on the cheek.
Charles has warmly supported Kate and William’s family milestones
After Kate gave birth to her first child, Prince George, in 2013, her father-in-law shared his excitement about becoming a grandfather for the first time.
“Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone’s life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months,” he said in a statement in July 2013. “I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby in the near future.”
Charles also celebrated the birth of Kate and William’s second child, Princess Charlotte, in May 2015.
He told well wishers at an event that Charlotte was “beautiful,” according to Cosmopolitan. He also joked that he had been “hoping for a grand-daughter, someone to look after me when I am very old!”
Some royal watchers have speculated that Charlotte, whose name is the feminine form of Charles, was named after her grandfather.
Charles was similarly over the moon at the birth of Kate and William’s third child, Prince Louis, in 2018.
“It is a great joy to have another grandchild, the only trouble is I don’t know how I am going to keep up with them,” he said in a statement, according to People.
One of Louis’ middle names is Charles, a possible tribute to his grandfather.
Kate and Charles share more sweet moments
More than a decade after she officially joined the royal family, Kate’s rapport with her father-in-law appears stronger than ever.
In February 2020, she appeared to crack up at a joke made by Charles during a joint royal visit to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre in central England.
They also greeted each other with a peck on the cheek at the premiere of “No Time To Die” in London in September 2021.
And King Charles was seen blowing a kiss to Kate at a thanksgiving service for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. This greeting from afar could have been due to social distancing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Charles called Kate his ‘beloved daughter-in-law’
The king referred to Kate affectionately while giving a speech in Kenya in November 2023 — and also revealed some details about William’s proposal to Kate in 2010.
“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,” the king said, according to The Independent.
Now, as Charles and Kate navigate cancer at the same time, Hello magazine royal editor Emily Nash guesses the experience will only strengthen their connection.
“This new experience for them both will really cement what has long been a very affectionate bond between the king and his beloved daughter-in-law,” Nash said on March 25 on TODAY.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
