William's PRIVATE PAIN

THE FUTURE KING FACES THE BIGGEST CRISIS OF HIS ADULT LIFE, AS KATE MIDDLETON VOWS TO SAVE THEIR FAMILY

The first week of February was Children’s Mental Health Week in Britain. But with most of the U.K. in the midst of yet another COVID-19 lockdown, Kate Middleton wanted to remind moms and dads that it’s important they also think about themselves. “There has never been a more important time to talk about parental well-being and mental health, too,” she said on Jan. 31. “This is a hugely challenging time for us all. So please look after yourself, too.”

Her message wasn’t only aimed at strangers, according to palace sources, who told In Touch that Kate is deeply concerned about her own family — especially husband Prince William. “The stress of the last few years has really gotten to him,” says one royals source. Not only is William, 38, under immense pressure as he and Kate, 39, continue to take on additional responsibilities while Queen Elizabeth II, 94, remains sidelined due to the pandemic, he’s also been facing mounting personal issues. “There’s the fallout from his cheating scandal, his feud with Prince Harry and his power struggle with his father over who will be king,” says the source. On top of that, William faced criticism for keeping his April COVID-19 battle quiet until the media outed him in November, and old wounds were ripped open the same month as Season 4 of The Crown focused on his parents’ painful split. “It’s a lot to take on,” says

the source. Although a palace rep denies the story, William, adds the source, “is struggling to cope and dealing with a lot of anger and pain.”

BATTLING HIS DEMONS

William is also dealing with anxiety issues. He opened up about it in a BBC documentary in May, explaining that to cope with his anxiety over giving speeches he will leave out his contact lenses so his audience appears blurry. He’s also admitted, “We can all sometimes feel anxious or stressed. At moments even the little things can seem a struggle. But we can all start to change things.” What really made William snap, however, is his power struggle with his father, Prince Charles, 72. They famously clashed when William was young and Charles cheated on Princess Diana. But more recently they’ve fought over who will be the next king. Many Brits believe the queen should pass over her eldest son in favor of her more popular grandson and his adored wife. “When William learned his grandmother was still going to support Charles becoming king, that really drove him over the edge,” says the source. “She had given him and Kate so much more responsibility in recent months that he thought his father would be passed over.” To deal with the crushing blow, William has been drinking more, says the source. “Friends and people inside the palace are worried about him. He’s holding on to so much anger. Drinking the pain away is not the answer.”

KATE’S HURTING, TOO

William’s spiral is taking its toll on Kate, says the source: “She’s worried sick about him and has dropped to 97 pounds.” This all comes on the heels of his affair scandal involving Kate’s close friend and their country house neighbor, Rose Hanbury, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, 36. “There were so many rumors about William and Rose, but only they know what’s true and what’s not,” adds the source. (Neither the palace nor Rose has addressed the affair rumors.)

In a rare moment of candor and in sharp contrast to her usual “never complain, never explain” approach that she learned from the queen, Kate recently admitted, “I feel pulled in so many different directions, and you try your best with everything, but at the end of the day I do feel exhausted.” She isn’t giving up, however, despite all of the pressure, says the source. “Kate has vowed to save and heal her family. She knows that if she continues to support William, they will get through this.” ◼