After an emotional and challenging few weeks, the Princess of Wales is surrounding herself with her loved ones as she deals with the effects of chemotherapy following her cancer diagnosis. And among the friends and family helping her, her father-in-law the King is giving her unwavering support.
While the Princess and His Majesty have always been close, royal sources tell HELLO! the bond between them has grown stronger still, with the pair turning to each other for comfort while each comes to terms with their cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Not only did the King visit Kate's bedside when they both found themselves in the same hospital at the same time in January, but they have remained in constant contact – and enjoyed a private lunch together at Windsor Castle the day before she broadcast her health update to the world.
Robert Hardman, author of Charles III: New King, New Court, tells HELLO!: "It's very clear that he's extremely concerned about her. I think he wants to make sure as much as he can that if there's anything he can do, he will do, because for a very fit and healthy young mother, this is a different order of magnitude to someone having to deal with this in their 70s.
"I'm sure he's been a source of comfort for her in the same way she's probably been a source of comfort for him," he adds. "I think it cannot but have brought them even closer together. He's always had a huge regard for his daughter-in-law. He thinks she's just wonderful.
"When people are in hospital, they don't really want a fuss. But the fact was: the King was there, she was there, and the Queen was there with him as well. And they did go around to check and reassure the Princess.
"It’s a reminder that the Windsors are mortals like the rest of us. And we have to have great sympathy with the fact that they are undergoing an absolute shock of a lifetime, except they're having to undergo it with all of us talking about it."
Read the full story in this week's issue of HELLO! magazine.