The Wales family is the most talked-about in the world, with the Prince and Princess considered leaders within the fold, and as a result front and centre in royal life.
However, this year has seen the family of five take a step back, with Kate Middleton pausing royal duties while she undergoes preventative chemotherapy, confirming her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
As a result, the Princess of Wales has been recovering privately at her Windsor Castle home, surrounded by Prince William and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who have also been keeping a lower profile.
Despite being out of the public eye, the Wales family is still making regular headlines, with a story about Prince William and Princess Kate protecting Charlotte resurfacing just this week.
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The move by the Prince and Princess of Wales involved the now nine-year-old’s name, with royal experts praising their “wise” decision not to give their daughter the first name “Diana”, after her late grandmother Princess Diana.
Instead, the royal couple gave their daughter the moniker “Charlotte”, opting to give her the middle names “Elizabeth” and “Diana”, after her great-grandmother and grandmother, respectively.
“I think [Prince William] very wisely decided not to give Charlotte his mother’s name as her first name,” explained royal expert Richard Kay on Channel 5 documentary, Secrets of the Royal Palaces. “Everything she did and said would have been compared with her”.
He continued: “By giving Diana as the middle name, it means Diana is still there.”
(Image credit: Karwai Tang / Getty)
It is not known when the Princess of Wales, and the entire family by extension, will return to public life, but it is thought that it could be as late as 2025.
“We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment,” the Princess of Wales announced in her televised health announcement back in March. “My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.”
We will continue to update this story.
