Prince William has shown his "grit and determination" to keep going during a highly-stressful period for the Royal Family, says a friend of the future king. While wife Kate prepared to revealed she was undergoing cancer treatment the heir to the throne continued with his Royal duties.
It was a period when wild and untrue rumours about her dominated social media. If that wasn't difficult enough, William was still processing his father's cancer diagnosis.
Now a source close to the prince have spoken of his strength of character and ability to take matters "on the chin". He continues to balance both his duties as a Royal with the care and protection of his family.
A friend has told The Times: "I don’t know how he managed to keep doing all of that, knowing what he was going through, while the world was ridiculing and throwing shit at his wife while she was having chemotherapy.
"That speaks to his character, grit and determination to go out there and do the job that is expected of him. He has taken most of it on the chin and got on with it.”
The Princess of Wales is currently continuing with her course of preventative chemotherapy and recuperation at home in Windsor. William's priority is to care for his wife and three children but his public engagements will increase in the lead-up to the family's summer holiday in July and August.
This week he will be in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly visiting the site of a social housing project in Newquay. One of the Prince's key aims is to tackle homelessness. His other priorities include the environmental Earthshot prize and raising awareness around mental health.
Despite the strain of recent months he is said to have retained his humour during the difficult last few months. The social media storm about Kate reached epic proportions back in March. The wild speculation was only dampened when she made a public statement about her illness.
There was widespread praise for her "brave decision" to reveal the shock diagnosis. All of these issues come as the Prince deals with a strained relationship with his brother, Harry.
A source close to the couple told The Times there has been "a huge sense of relief" that they have now been given privacy and peace away from the glare of publicity.
The source said: "He continues to do his best to try to balance supporting his wife, family and father with his public duty as the Prince of Wales. But of course from the start of the year, the focus of his family has been at the forefront of his mind.”