CLOSE TIES
Prince William has a ‘special bond & place in his heart for royal child’, says Jennie Bond & made key move for them
They are also said to be a 'source of joy' for King Charles
WHEN it comes to his duties, Prince William takes his role as “dad” very seriously.
The Prince of Wales, 42, is a doting father to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - but has a particularly “special relationship”.
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Royal expert Jennie Bond says Wills and Charlotte have a remarkably close bond.
We recently saw evidence of this as Prince William went to Cape Town in November for the Earthshot prize and wore a special token made by his nine-year-old girl.
The future King wore a homemade friendship bracelet with small blue beads that spelled out “Papa”.
Former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie told OK!: “William will have known that the bracelet she made for him would draw a huge amount of attention - he wore it proudly and prominently.
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“It was an endearing sign of how close he is to his daughter.
“I’m sure Charlotte will have watched her dad in South Africa with pride, especially after such a brutal year."
The royal expert said the father-daughter-duo have a close bond, and added: “I think daughters and dads tend to have a very special relationship – especially when there’s only one little girl in the family.
“And this seems to be true for William. I’m sure he’s immensely proud of all three of his children, but there is perhaps a particular place in his heart for his sporty little Charlotte."
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Charlotte’s ‘tears’
It seems the young princess holds a lot of power in the Wales family household.
Princess Charlotte broke down in “floods of tears” when she first saw her father’s trendy new beard, Wills revealed.
Charlotte was so distraught by the new whiskers the Prince of Wales had to shave off the designer stubble before convincing his daughter he could regrow it.
Princess Charlotte & The Duchess: A Stylish Adventure
Asked if his family liked his new beard, he replied: “Well Charlotte didn’t like it the first time.
"I got floods of tears the first time I grew a beard, so I had to shave it off. And then I grew it back.
“I thought, hang on a second and I convinced her it was going to be okay.”
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Family man
Prince William admitted this year has been the “hardest year in my life”, with wife Kate and dad King Charles’ cancer diagnoses.
The royal cut back his public engagements to help support his wife and their three young children during her chemotherapy treatment.
William said: "So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.
This seems to be true for William. I’m sure he’s immensely proud of all three of his children, but there is perhaps a particular place in his heart for his sporty little Charlotte
Jennie Bond
“But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done.
“But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”
He was said to have stepped up with school-run duties and provided a “great source of comfort and reassurance” to his wife.
In September, Princess Kate confirmed she had finished chemotherapy and is now focusing on being "cancer free".
Inside Princess Charlotte's rural country home, Adelaide Cottage
PRINCE William and Kate Middleton uprooted Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, during the summer of 2022 for a more rural life.
They reportedly spent around a year hunting for a home in Windsor, which would be close to a school that they could all attend together.
They settled on Adelaide Cottage, as first revealed by The Sun, because they believed it needed no major renovations.
With its candyfloss pink exterior and rolling grounds, the royal pad looks straight from a fairytale.
It’s also perfect for the school run, as it’s a nine-mile drive to Ascot where the kids attend the £7,000-a-term Lambrook School.
Charlotte’s bond with Charles
Princess Charlotte is also said to be a "source of great joy" for King Charles, who reportedly always wanted a daughter himself, claimed Jennie.
As well as his granddaughter, Charles is said to “adore” Princess Kate and they are “closer than ever after their cancer experience.”
The King is planning more foreign tours next year as his cancer treatment continues — because his Australia and Samoa trip proved to be a “perfect tonic”.
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A senior Palace official said Charles, 75, had “genuinely loved” the nine-day tour and it had lifted “his spirits, his mood and recovery.”
The overall tour had been shortened to nine days due to Charles’s cancer diagnosis.
As the royal couple flew back to the UK last night, they issued a message saying they would treasure “countless fond memories”.
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Buckingham Palace has now told the Government he is ready to go on more trips next year — which will likely see a return to long spring and autumn tours.
One is thought to be in Europe while a second may be further afield.
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