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The photo said a thousand words: it showed a shorts-clad Kate Middleton hugging her beloved brother James tight, as the pair completed the gruelling Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for cancer sufferers.
It was a mountain climb that the Princess of Wales could not possibly have considered taking part in not that long ago, as she battled an undisclosed form of cancer and withdrew from public life.
Her own fight was announced just two short years earlier – so it’s hardly surprising that Kate was joined by her brother as well as her parents, Carole and Michael, husband, Prince William, and children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, to celebrate the achievement.
“I’m so incredibly proud of my darling sister,” James shared in a moving Instagram post on July 6.
“Two years ago, I told you we’d climb this mountain together. We talked about climbing mountains while you were in hospital, and about the incredible healing power that nature can have for both the body and the mind. So it was such an honour to join you for your Three Peaks Challenge for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity,” he wrote.
“Seeing how far you’ve come is nothing short of inspiring. Your strength, resilience, and determination, all while being the most amazing mother, wife, daughter, and sister, inspire me and so many others every single day. Keep being exactly who you are,” he concluded.
Indeed, despite her health struggles and the additional strain levelled upon the Princess over the claims made by Prince Harry in his book, and those made by his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in the couple’s famous Oprah interview, Kate has been looking positively radiant of late.
The 44-year-old dazzled in a blue power suit as she joined former tennis pro Andy Murray at Wimbledon on July 2, and now insiders tell Woman’s Day that she is using her new lease on life to will her husband into a more positive way of thinking amid the return of his estranged brother to the UK.
A source claims the Princess has issued an “ultimatum” of sorts to William – urging him to follow her lead and hold his head high.
“Kate’s tried everything with William. She’s listened, she’s sympathised, she’s encouraged him to talk it through, and nothing seems to work,” the insider spills.
“She’s at the point where she doesn’t know what else to do to help so she’s resorting to a bit of tough love and ordering him to snap out of it.”
With her cancer fight in the rear mirror, the source says Kate knows she has much to be grateful for.
“She’s feeling happier than she has in a long time and she wants William to start seeing the glass half full too,” they explain.
“She told him to get a grip and stop letting all this stress dictate his mood because it’s affecting everyone around him.”
William is said to be furious about the drama surrounding his brother’s visit to the UK.
While Harry was initially meant to be bringing Meghan and the kids with him to his home country, it was later reported that security fears meant Harry would travel solo instead.
This is despite King Charles reportedly offering Harry accommodation in Buckingham Palace during his stay – an option that would come with existing security.
With the drama garnering no shortage of headlines, Kate is said to be mindful of the impact William’s mood has on their kids.
“She’s told him he needs to take action to get out of this horrible headspace and in her view committing to a serious exercise regime is the answer, she says working up a sweat is the best medicine,” the insider adds.
“She also wants him to give yoga a proper go, because, in her view, he clearly needs a better way to cope with all his stress.”
