Prince William was reportedly furious over the conspiracy theories and rumors swirling online about his wife, Kate Middleton, prior to her cancer diagnosis being revealed, an ex-staffer claims.
The royal insider told People earlier this week that the Prince of Wales, 41, was “upset and angry” over the gossip surrounding the Princess of Wales.
“William is strong-minded, stubborn sometimes. That, and his emphasis on family life, will give him the backbone and strength to get through this,” royal correspondent Valentine Low added.
Rumors about Middleton’s whereabouts began surfacing earlier this year when the mom of three kept a low profile following her abdominal surgery in January.
In early March, Middleton, 42, was photographed for the first time in nearly two months and she then released an edited picture of herself that sparked even more concern.
She appeared in the doctored image posing alongside her and William’s three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, for Mother’s Day in the UK.
Several social media users accused the royal of undergoing a more serious surgery than the one the palace claimed she had — including a Brazilian butt lift.
Others speculated that there were marital issues between the future king and his wife, alleging he had been having an affair with British aristocrat Rose Hanbury. (Hanbury denied the rumors.)
Stars, including Stephen Colbert and Blake Lively, who had fueled the fire were forced to apologize.
However, Middleton ended all allegations when she emotionally shared that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
“My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” she said in the video message weeks later.
The princess said she and William had “been doing everything [they] can to process and manage this privately for the sake of [their] young family.”
Since revealing her diagnosis, Middleton has not returned to her royal duties.
Last month, William gave a rare update on how she was doing amid her health issues.
“All doing well, yes, thank you. All doing well,” he told a concerned fan during his visit to northern England.