Fighting Cancer Brought Princess Kate and King Charles 'Closer' (EXCL)
To conclude their tour of Australia and Samoa on October 26, King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited the village of Siumu, where they donned festive leis and watched the locals perform a traditional ceremony.
“I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world and hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you,” gushed His Royal Highness, 75. “We shall take away with us, I promise you, very special memories of our time here.”
It was clear that everyone had a grand time, and Charles came off as warm and relatable — something for which he may be able to thank his daughter-in-law Princess Kate.
“Charles used to seem like a very standoffish guy — and he didn’t do much to make himself more likable or accessible to the public,” says a source. “Because she loves spending time with him, Kate’s been giving Charles a little nudge recently to let his guard down and provide the world with a glimpse of the Charles she admires. He’s listened and told those closest to him that, even at his age, he’s still learning lessons from Kate.”
Fair or not, Charles’ reputation as a curmudgeon began when he was married to Princess Diana, who was known as “the People’s Princess” because she was so relatable — just like Kate! — and their messy public divorce in 1996 didn’t help matters.
“The truth is, behind the scenes, Charles was always pretty down-to-earth,” shares the source about the dad to Prince William, 42 , and grandpa of Kate’s kids Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
“For example, he just loves being in nature, which is something he and Kate have in common. He also loves to cook and swim, and he adores his grandchildren.”
Unfortunately, another thing that Kate, 42, and the king have in common is cancer. This year, both underwent treatment for undisclosed forms of the disease.
“Fighting cancer at the same time drew Kate and Charles closer,” says the source. “Kate was the one comforting Charles at times, but he also really took his royal hat off to just be a supportive father-in-law.”
Now, the public is finally witnessing his softer side, too. “While the world may have seen this stiff-upper-lip royal, Kate knows Charles as the guy with a silly sense of humor,” continues the source.
“Around her and the family, Charles is easygoing, eager to listen to stories, and a funny grandfather. So she’s encouraged him to use those qualities to bond with people. Now he’s happy he took her advice.”