The Weight Of The World

Prince William has his work cut out for him as he faces a string of challenges on his path to the throne

- JAIME HARKIN

Finally, the royal family had something to smile about. On April 11, Prince William and his 10-year-old son, Prince George, attended a soccer match at Villa Park stadium in Birmingham to cheer on their favorite team, Aston Villa. The father-son duo stood and clapped throughout the game, which ended with a 2–1 Aston Villa victory.

It was a well-deserved reprieve for William. In the past few months, the stoic future king has had to contend with an onslaught of personal and professional hardships after both his wife, Princess Kate, and his father, King Charles III, were diagnosed with cancer within weeks of each other. With two of the most high-profile royals sidelined, William, 41, has been pulling triple duty, filling in for Kate and Charles during official appearances while also keeping things going at home with George and his younger siblings, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, as their mom goes through preventive chemotherapy.

There’s a lot on his plate. “It’s been stressful,” says a source. “William feels a profound sense of duty to uphold the monarchy’s stability and inspire confidence in the public that everything wil be OK. It’s an immense responsibility.”

ON SHAKY GROUND