Expert Claims Royal Staff Growing ‘Frustrated’ With William and Kate — Princess Earns New Nickname
Given King Charles's ongoing treatment for cancer, Prince William and Kate Middleton are reportedly ‘under pressure’ to take on more royal duties. Royal expert Camilla Tominey has claimed that Palace staff are growing increasingly 'frustrated' with the couple over their ‘aversion to work’. She revealed that even before the Princess of Wales' own diagnosis, she was rudely labeled a ‘part-time royal’ by her staff for her half-hearted approach to her duties.
Last year, the Prince and Princess of Wales briefly stepped back from royal duties following Middleton’s cancer diagnosis in March. As reported by the Royal Insider, Tominey revealed that William and Middleton are “under growing pressure to up their workload.” There are concerns amongst aides that the couple “may be spending too much time with their immediate family instead of supporting the Firm.” Courtiers are also reportedly fuming over William indulging in his passions, traveling to Germany for the Euros and South Africa for his Earthshot prize, instead of taking on more royal duties as heir to the throne.
As far as Middleton is concerned, while she has slowly returned to royal duties, she is allegedly ‘determined’ to be a hands-on mother to her three young children. The publication reports that Middleton made only 11 royal engagements in 2024, given her cancer diagnosis. William, meanwhile, did 71 compared to the 172 engagements he did in 2023. In comparison, Princess Anne, dubbed the hardest working royal, did a whopping 217 engagements in 2024. Royal expert Hilary Fordwich claimed that the Prince and Princess of Wales are allegedly stressed about their future roles in the monarchy. She told Fox News Digital, “[Prince William] is also under huge generational pressure since the increasing public popularity of the monarchy ranks highest for both him and Princess Catherine.”
Tominey’s claims also echo an April report by the Scottish Daily Express, which revealed that William refused to attend Pope Francis’s funeral until Charles allegedly ‘pulled rank.’ The Prince of Wales reportedly has been avoiding overseas travel unless it involves an initiative he is personally invested in. He spent much of last year in the UK to remain close to his wife, avoiding formal trips.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have always placed their family first, before any royal duty. As per Brides Today, royal author Rob Jobson in his book, Catherine, The Princess of Wales: The Biography, argued that Middleton was clear with the late Queen Elizabeth II about focusing on her family first. He penned, “[Kate] established some fundamental life rules that she would stick to when she joined The Firm. Her ‘terms’ were in fact presented to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles… She was clear from the outset that she would not be pigeon-holed into carrying out particular duties…her priority, she emphasized, would always be her family.”