As much fun as being part of the royal family looks to us regular people most of the time, we have to admit that actually living that lifestyle has to be at least a little bit exhausting — and that certainly applies to Prince William and Kate Middleton. They might be the Prince and Princess of Wales, but they're also human, and the signs have definitely been there recently that royal life is taking a toll on them. Having to keep up appearances, fulfill their obligations, and keep the UK united isn't exactly a stressless job, after all, and they're more than aware that the world is watching every little move they make.
Not to mention the fact that William has just moved up the line of succession following Queen Elizabeth's death. Now that King Charles is on the throne, that means William and Kate will be the next king and queen consort. So much pressure!
All of this responsibility (both now and in the future) has to be weighing heavily on them. They're also people who happen to be parents with three kids to raise, and that comes with its own set of stressors completely separate from anything related to being royal.
A lot of signs have been pointing to Kate and William being over the royal life lately. Read on to see why they might be ready for a break — and if they truly are, we hope they can get one soon. Considering how hard they work every day, they deserve it!
Royal Life Can Be Stressful
Even under the best of circumstances, royal life can be incredibly stressful. (If it wasn't, wouldn't Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have stuck around longer?) William and Kate have been at it for a long time, and they don't seem to get much of a break — and given current world events, it doesn't seem like they can expect to have one anytime soon. Based on this alone, it'd be easy to understand why being royal would be exhausting for them.
Things Are About To Ramp Up
According to a recent report from online magazine The Talko (via Express), Kate and William are about to be busier than ever. The closer William gets to becoming king, the more changes will take place in his day-to-day life — especially when it comes to work — and that work is going to require him to spend most of his time doing royal duties, without much of an opportunity to get away.
They've Been Working Overtime Lately
With the world in a bit of turmoil these days and the UK definitely being affected, William and Kate have been busier than ever. They've been trying to help out however they're able, and during the pandemic, that meant attending Zoom calls or granting special permissions to government agencies. We really admire the way they have stepped up, but we couldn't blame them if it's overwhelming!
The Feud Between Harry & William
It's never easy fighting with a loved one — especially when that loved one happens to be a brother and lifelong best friend. Lately, we've heard nonstop rumors about William and Harry's feud, including some reports that their tempers have really made it impossible for them to be able to be civil with each other. At this point, it's been going on for years, which has to be taking a toll on William emotionally.
Royal Engagements Are Getting Uncomfortable
On the rare occasion that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex end up back in the UK and take part in some sort of royal event, it's not a stress-free situation. In fact, though we would have expected William and Kate to be excited to see them when they get the chance, instead, it seems like things are awkward at best. If this doesn't show how over it all William and Kate are, we don't know what does — at this point, they don't even seem willing to put on a happy face and pretend.
They Tend To Look a Bit Annoyed With Each Other
Anyone who's ever been married or in a long-term relationship knows that their partner annoying them is an inevitability. When we spend that much time with anyone, they're going to drive us crazy, no matter how much we love them. But it seems like William and Kate have looked annoyed with each other a lot lately, which only tells us one thing: Their patience seems to be growing pretty thin.
William Has a Lot To Lose
We never wanted to imagine a future without Queen Elizabeth in it, but it's here, and with it comes a lot of changes — and not all of them will be super fun for William, depending on what King Charles chooses to do. In fact, there's a chance that William will lose a beloved title that allowed him to stand in for the Queen at official events where she couldn't make it, because his father could choose to assign it to someone else.
Sounds like a bummer.
William & Kate Could End Up Funding Harry & Meghan's Lifestyle
Another change that may happen now that Charles is king could lead to William and Kate footing the bill for Meghan and Harry's lifestyle. (Talk about stress!) We already know that in addition to the Prince of Wales, William has also become Duke of Cornwall, which gives him oversight of the Duchy of Cornwall and possibly would let him direct money toward his brother and his wife — who are still technically members of the royal family. But should he? Will everyone want him to? That's a lot to have on his shoulders.
The Negative Focus on Their Family
Being royal means living in the spotlight, but sometimes, that spotlight can be exceptionally cruel, especially when it comes to William's late mother. Rumor has it that a documentary that may not portray Princess Diana in a positive light is in the works, and William is said to be upset over it. Things like that can definitely make life more complicated, and we wouldn't blame him if it made him feel like he was over being royal.
Kate Is Missing Harry
Reportedly, things have been hard on Kate since Harry and Meghan decided to leave royal life. Kate is especially missing the brotherly relationship she had with Harry, as a source told royal correspondent Katie Nicholl for Vanity Fair.
"To be honest, I think Kate has taken it all badly," the insider said. "She, Harry, and William were once such a happy trio. She thinks what has happened is all very sad."
Kate's Parents Have Been Pitching In
Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, have been more involved in her and William's life than ever before, allowing her and William to lean on them for support — and extra help with the kids — as their lives have become more hectic.
"[Carole] is looking after [her grandchildren] when needs be, but is also just being there for [William and Kate]," a source told Us Weekly, adding that Kate's mom and dad have also "provided a middle class down-to-earth haven for William."
Kate's Been Super Anxious
In the same report, the source said that Kate's anxiety has been really high since Harry and Meghan left royal life about all the extra responsibility she'll have to take on without them around.
"Kate's in a panic and has been having bouts of anxiety," the source said. "She barely has time to rest, and when she does try to sleep, her mind is constantly racing. She's already stretched pretty thin. And now she's really worried about how she'll juggle the extra workload on top of her family life."
Kate's Relationship With Meghan & Harry Is Fractured
Reportedly, Kate has tried to fix her relationship with Meghan and Harry, but it just isn't working out — and that must be adding some personal stress to her load these days, too.
"Apparently, she fought back tears as she told them how their lack of communication and contact both before and after they moved to Canada had been devastating for them and how they felt completely shut out of their lives," a royal insider told Women's Day New Zealand.
People are Joking About William & Kate's Kids
When it comes to jokes, kids should definitely be off-limits, but that isn't the case for the royal kids. A BBC Radio 1 DJ joked about Princess Charlotte shaking her teacher's hand on the first day of school, and William and Kate called him out for it, showing that they were not going to tolerate it one bit. It was a pretty harmless joke, but they have to be tired of their kids getting stuck in the middle of it all.
The Constant Pregnancy Rumors
It seems like every time we turn around, we're hearing yet another rumor that Kate is pregnant with baby No. 4 — even though she herself has given no indication about whether she's even planning on having more kids after Prince Louis. Hearing those kinds of rumors about herself has to get a little old, even though she's probably used to it by now.
We certainly wouldn't blame her!
The Stress of Ruling
Like we said earlier, now that King Charles is in charge, William and Kate have never been so close to stepping up and ruling themselves. Knowing that their future holds so much more responsibility for them has to be super overwhelming at times, so we wouldn't blame them one bit if they were feeling like they needed to get a break from it all.
The Pressure of the Title
Now that William and Kate are officially the Prince and Princess of Wales, there's no doubt it adds a new layer of pressure to the gig. The last person to hold the Princess of Wales title was Princess Diana herself, and she's a hard act to follow. Poor Kate!
Their Recent Move
Just before the Queen's death, William and Kate moved out to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, reportedly hoping that they'd be able to give their children a more "normal" life there (for the time being, at least). But there are rumors that Charles will want them back in London ASAP now that he makes the rules. Who wants to pick up and move their family twice in such a short period of time?
What Harry & Meghan Might Say
Lately, Meghan and Harry have been more open with what they share with the press, from their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey to Meghan's more recent chat with The Cut. Given that the Sussexes have shared personal stories about William and Kate (including Meghan's take on the drama that went down between them before her 2018 wedding), we have to imagine that stressing out over what those two might say next is probably getting to them.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
