King Charles III and Princess Catherine: Inside their special bond

When it comes to your in-laws, it can sometimes be hit and miss whether or not they become an integral part of the family or not.

According to royal insiders though, King Charles III and his daughter-in-law Princess Catherine, have struck it lucky and share a special bond where he sees her as the daughter he never had and she treats him like a father.

Both Catherine and Charles have been under the magnifying glass lately due to both having ongoing health challenges.

The Princess was admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery and while she is now recuperating well at home, she has not been seen publicly since Christmas.

At the same time, the King also received treatment for an enlarged prostate. A subsequent cancer diagnosis has forced him to step away from public duties while he receives much-needed treatment.

Despite their simultaneous health challenges, it has come to light that the pair have a mutual affection for one another and according to royal insiders, Catherine was left “devastated” after receiving the shocking news of Charles’ diagnosis.

As revealed by Closer Magazine, the royal insiders said Kate has a special connection with the Monarch and treats him like a father.

“She treats him like a father, not a king, which he appreciates,” the insider said.

“She calls him often. They’ve forged a special bond.

“Kate is definitely the daughter he never had. Charles may seem stuffy, but he has a good sense of humor, and Kate is great at making him laugh.”

Amid the double whammy of health woes swirling around the two senior royals, Prince William has picked up the slack in his father’s absence and assumed a more active role in royal affairs.

Unsurprisingly there has been much speculation on whether the king-in-waiting will ascend the throne earlier than expected. 

But renowned royal historian, Kelly Swaby, suggests that the uptick in his duties may resemble an unofficial idea termed “soft regency”. 

Speaking to 9Honey, Swaby explained “It’s called a ‘soft regency’, where it isn’t official, but we have an heir to the throne performing most of the duties that are usually the duties of the sovereign.

“So we may see William step up to do a lot of the ceremonial things that the King would usually be required to do, but without an official regency been declared.”

Swaby added that the move echoed a similar approach taken by the Royal Family during Queen Elizabeth’s later years.

“We kind of saw it in the Queen’s later years where the then-Prince Charles stepped up,” Swaby remarked.

“We may see a situation [again] that we saw when the Queen was older, when Charles was pretty much the face of the royal family – we all knew that he was really leading things.

“The Queen was the boss, but he was kind of doing all the day-to-day things. We may see that for a while [now, with Prince William].”