Per British tradition, Prince William has kept calm and carried on with his royal duties despite a “really trying” time for the royal family.
“I think it remains very positive that Prince William has really stepped up to the mark with the king being out of action for a few months,” royal photographer Samir Hussein exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, June 11, while discussing his involvement in London’s “Princess Diana: Accredited Access” exhibition. “Prince William’s been through so much, obviously, with what’s been happening with Kate, which we didn’t know about for so long. “I think he’s done remarkably well in really, really trying circumstances.”
Hussein added, “He’s still being himself on engagements, he’s still been joking when he meets with the public.”
William’s wife, Princess Kate Middleton, and his father, King Charles III, are battling undisclosed forms of cancer. Charles, 75, confirmed his diagnosis in February, one month before Kate, 42, revealed her health battle.
Charles and Kate initially canceled their public-facing duties to recuperate with William, 41, often carrying on in their places.
“I think you can see this just determination from him to come through this both for his father and his wife [during] what must be incredibly tough times for him,” Hussein told Us.
Kate has yet to resume her public engagements — she noted in her March announcement video it would occur once she’s medically cleared by doctors — while Charles returned to work in April. The king made his first overseas trip since his treatment earlier this month, joining wife Queen Camilla in France to honor the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
“I think the king … [has] been really determined to come back,” Hussein said. “He is still relatively new to the role and he’s waited a long time for it. So it’s great to see him back out, very busy doing engagements and looking very fit and so long may that continue.”
Charles ascended the British throne in September 2022 after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96. His Majesty’s coronation was held eight months later.
Samir, father Anwar Hussein and brother Zak Hussein have photographed the royal family’s biggest milestones for decades. They are sharing their behind-the-scenes memories of William and his brother Prince Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, in the new “Princess Diana: Accredited Access” immersive photography exhibition in London. (Diana died at the age of 36 in August 1997.)
“With our family history of shooting the royals and bringing the top two generations together — my father having shot Diana for his career and then me and my brother shooting William and Harry extensively — we just thought it was a great time to do it,” Samir said on Tuesday. “My father’s never told these stories before. It was a great way to tell his story about the roles and his experiences shooting Princess Diana.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
