Royal Biographer Andrew Morton Says Queen Elizabeth Would Be Proud of the Way Prince William Handled His ‘Brutal’ Year

Mar. 15, 2025

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Queen Elizabeth II watch a flypast of Spitfire & Hurricane aircraft from the balcony of Buckingham Palace to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of The Battle of Britain on July 10, 2015 in London, England.Photo:Getty Images

Getty Images

Queen Elizabethwould be proud of the way future kingPrince Williamhas handled what he has described as a “brutal” year, royal biographer Andrew Morton said.

Morton — who famously wrote 1992’sDiana: Her True StoryaboutPrincess Diana— toldThe Mirrorof Prince William, “I don’t envy his role at the moment — he’s got a lot on his plate,” referring to the dual cancer diagnoses this year of both his wifeKate Middletonand fatherKing Charles.

He added, “But William is handling it as well as you can do when you’ve got a wife who has been seriously ill and three children who need support and comfort. For anyone dealing with a long-term illness, especially in that kind of position, it’s very difficult.”

Queen Elizabeth believed “the show has to go on,” Morton said, and in that vein, “William has undertaken as many official engagements as he can. But it requires a lot of maturity, common sense and empathy.”

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge during the Ceremony of The Keys at Holyrood Palace on June 28, 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland.Chris Jackson/Getty

Chris Jackson/Getty

In a candid Nov. 7 interview in Cape Town, South Africa — where the fourth iteration of his Earthshot Prize Awards were held — the Prince of Wales shared that the dual cancer diagnoses of his wife and father made for a “brutal” 2024, adding “It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life.”

As Morton put it, William, 42, has had to become “father, nurse and Prince of Wales,” and, though no one could have predicted 2024 in the royal family, he is likely relying on the solid training he received from an early age from his grandmother, who died on Sept. 8, 2022 at 96 years old.

“He used to see her every weekend when he was a pupil at Eton,” Morton said. “They used to chat about his future duties, and she prepared him in a very careful way. William owes the Queen an awful lot, as do they all.”

In addition to his biography about Princess Diana, Morton has also written aboutPrince Andrew,Sarah Ferguson, Prince William and Kate Middleton as a couple, Queen Elizabeth andPrincess Margaretas sisters,Wallis Simpson,Meghan Markleand Queen Elizabeth, with 2022’sThe Queen: Her Lifecoming out just two months after the monarch’s death.

Though the Queen mentored Prince William from an early age, she was careful to not pile on royal responsibilities too soon, Morton said.

“The Queen remembered her own early days in her marriage, when she had her happiest time of Malta,” he said, referring to the two years before taking the throne that she spent there withPrince Philipfrom 1949 to 1951.

“So she was very mindful of the fact that these young couples shouldn’t have to harness themselves to doing endless royal duties,” Morton continued. “They can spend a bit of time getting to know one another and enjoy a normal life — and William and Kate for the first couple of years managed that.”

Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales attend the Ceremonial Welcome at Horse Guards Parade during day one of The Amir of the State of Qatar’s visit to the United Kingdom on Dec. 3, 2024 in London, England.Samir Hussein/WireImage

Samir Hussein/WireImage

Morton toldThe Mirrorthat Prince William really appreciated his grandmother’s words of wisdom, and added, “The Queen was great in terms of character, whether it be horses or people. She’ll have seen in William that he was someone who was prepared to sacrifice elements of his own privacy and life to be an active member of the royal family — which he’s become.”

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For his part, William said of his grandmother at the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee in 2012 that she was “an incredible role model,” and after her death said in a speech following King Charles’ coronation concert at Windsor Castle in 2023 that he knew Queen Elizabeth is “up there, fondly keeping an eye on us.”

source: people.com