Prince William has been forced to get a sneak peek of his life as a monarch as he prepares to return to work after a lengthy Easter break.
The Prince of Wales is set to resume public duties later this week sans wife Princess Kate who is currently getting treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
His father King Charles also cut back on most public-facing duties following diagnosis with cancer in February, thrusting William into the spotlight with the weight of duties.
Speaking to the Daily Beast, a former royal courtier claimed the King-in-waiting was holding out hope for a few more years before he takes the reign of British empire.
"William and Kate had hoped to have several decades as Prince and Princess of Wales ... but what is interesting about the next few months is that William is being forced into a dry run at being king much sooner than he might have imagined such a thing would come to pass."
A friend of William reflected on the royal’s conundrum as he finds himself stuck between his status as senior royal and looking after his ailing wife.
They said: "I think you’ll see him try and balance the demands of state with the demands of being a good family man, taking care of his sick wife and making sure his kids are doing OK.”