Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Relying on Their 'New Inner Circle' as Princess Undergoes Chemotherapy

Prince William and Kate Middleton are juggling the Princess of Wales' cancer treatment and their roles as the future king and queen of England. As Kate continues to avoid forward-facing duties, William is leaning on Mike Tindall and Peter Phillips during the royal health crises.

"When two people in a family fall out, it makes life very difficult not only for them but for the rest of the family too," Jennie Bond told an outlet. "Loyalties are tested and there is no easy answer. This is a time when William needs all the love and support he can get from his family."

"His brother is not, and will not, be here to help or provide a shoulder to cry on," the royal expert added, referring to Prince Harry.

Tindall and Phillips attended the Buckingham Palace Garden Party with the Prince of Wales despite not being senior royals

"And so I’m really glad that William has a cousin who is almost like a brother to him in Peter Phillips," Bond continued of William's cousin. "Peter is incredibly down to earth, solid and has been there for both William and Harry in good and bad times."

"He formed a physical bridge between them when Harry came back for their grandfather’s funeral as he walked between the brothers — as if to keep the peace," she added.

According to Bond, the future king now relies on his cousin and cousin-in-law due to his strained relationship with his sibling.

"It was good to see Peter supporting William at the recent Buckingham Palace garden party… along with William’s other 'replacement' brother, Mike Tindall," she alleged. "I can imagine the three of them having a lot of fun together. This is William’s inner circle."

"People he can trust absolutely and who are showing that they are there for him when the going gets tough. I think it gave us a glimpse of the future for when William becomes King," Bond explained. "He may not have his brother at his side, but he will have a band of loyal and close relatives to help him represent the monarchy."

"I’m sure that, whenever they can, they will step up to help William when the burden of Kingship finally falls on his shoulders," she concluded.

In March, Kate surprised fans when she revealed she has cancer.

"I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you personally for all the wonderful messages of support and understanding whilst I've been recovering from surgery," Kate began in an Instagram video. "It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family. In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London. At the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised I should undergo preventive chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment."

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Bond spoke to OK! U.K.