Kate's family 'took Prince William under their wing' as King Charles was 'too busy'

In their 13 years of marriage, William’s relationship with the Middletons has grown from strength to strength, and instilled in him a quality that Charles was eager for him to gain.

“They took him [Prince William] under their wing from the very beginning and provided the kind of family atmosphere he had never had and probably yearned for,” said Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of My Mother & I: The Inside Story of the King and Our Late Queen.

“Lots of laughs, lots of family games and sharing of outdoor pursuits as a family. Just being there for him when his own father was far too busy and unable to provide this.

“This has made him very ‘family conscious’ which was exactly what King Charles wanted for him as he never had it himself.”

Seward said that the Middletons will certainly have some influence on how the next generation of royals will grow up, though conceded that they will never outweigh the power of the monarchy.

“The royal side will always come out on top however influential your family is or has been,” says Seward. “William is very family-minded because of this but he can’t beat the system.”

ROYAL LATEST:

• Princess Kate should be 'applauded' for bravery throughout cancer treatment - Michael Cole
• Kate 'committed' to her work as royal shows 'another good sign' after cancer treatment
• King holds talks with Justin Trudeau ahead of upcoming meeting

A newly released memoir by Kate’s younger brother James has given a closer look into the lives of the Middletons.

The 37-year-old has written a new book, titled "Meet Ella", named after his dog who died in 2023.

In the book, he has opened up about his two older sisters, his parents and his mental health journey.

In a more light-hearted section, he spoke about William’s time spent with the family, where he said the Prince of Wales was often left flinching at the competitive nature of card games when playing with his wife's family.

The brother of Princess Kate said the competition was often so fierce between siblings that Prince William would sometimes offer to walk the brother’s dog, Ella, to avoid the games completely.

He said: “William would flinch at our ruthless determination to win at all costs. He’d be delighted to be the first out, and when no longer compelled to take part, he’d slink off to cuddle Ella.

“Better still, he’d absent himself from the game entirely. 'James, does Ella need a walk?' he’d ask before we’d even started dealing the cards. My sisters and I would exchange a knowing glance. William, for all the competitive rigour of his military training, was happy to be a loser at cards.”

Kate’s younger brother opened up about his mental health struggles, detailing his diagnosis of clinical depression and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), writing that "for years, I’ve felt misunderstood, that no one quite gets me”.

In 2019, he spoke to the Daily Mail about how his brother-in-law has been a factor in encouraging him to speak out about mental illness.

“I feel compelled to talk about it openly because this is precisely what my brother-in-law Prince William, my sister Catherine and Prince Harry are advocating through their mental health charity Heads Together,” he wrote.

“I want to speak out, and they are my motivation for doing so.”