Prince William, Kate Middleton’s wedding anniversary ‘bittersweet’ as they face ‘greatest challenge’: expert

The Prince and Princess of Wales are celebrating their 13th wedding anniversary, and the occasion is “bittersweet,” one royal expert told Fox News Digital.

Prince William and Kate Middleton married on April 29, 2011, at London’s Westminster Abbey.

“This is obviously the most bittersweet anniversary William and Kate have ever experienced,” Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” told Fox News Digital. “Their marriage is stronger than ever, they have three beautiful children – and now they are facing the greatest challenge of their married lives.”

In a video shared in March, Middleton revealed that she is battling a form of cancer after having abdominal surgery for undisclosed reasons. The 42-year-old said she has been undergoing preventative chemotherapy treatment.

On Friday, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the royal’s father-in-law, King Charles III, will resume his public duties. In February, the palace announced that the 75-year-old had been diagnosed with a form of cancer and is undergoing treatment.

On Friday, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the royal’s father-in-law, King Charles III, will resume his public duties. In February, the palace announced that the 75-year-old had been diagnosed with a form of cancer and is undergoing treatment.

Andersen said that despite the ongoing health battles, the Prince and Princess of Wales have put on a united front.

It’s hard to think of any marriage stronger than theirs or built on a more solid foundation,” he shared. “William and Kate are certainly more equipped emotionally and in every other way to handle whatever life throws at them – and with the dual diagnoses of Kate and the king, life has thrown them a lot.”

Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that the couple is optimistic about Middleton’s recovery.

The couple are working behind the scenes,” Pelham Turner claimed. “I have been told by a source who is in regular, almost daily contact with the couple that they are putting in day’s work, especially William – and Kate when she is able to.”

The abdominal surgery, apart from being very painful, was emotionally draining for Kate,” he said. “The couple had to come to terms with all of this even before the cancer announcement. William has stepped up to the plate, ensuring his family and his family are confidently moving forward.”

According to Pelham Turner, the couple have prioritized protecting their children from the glaring media spotlight. The princess has maintained a low profile during her recovery.

Middleton’s absence from the public eye – and little information about what prompted her surgery – initially triggered speculation and gossip about her health. Distrust of the monarchy only intensified after the princess admitted that she edited an official family photo, one that was supposed to reassure the public that she was doing well. Palace officials struggled to regain control of the narrative as conjecture and conspiracy theories persisted.

In her announcement, Middleton said it had been thought that her condition was non-cancerous until post-surgery tests revealed the diagnosis.

This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she said.

Pelham Turner noted that Middleton had been determined to give their children normalcy behind palace doors.