Prince William needed to step up – but he didn't

The future King could have handled Charles and Kate's absence from royal duties differently

In any job, family or team, when the leader/team captain/matriarch/patriarch is suddenly forced out of action – be it due to illness or whatever else – it's the deputy's turn to step up. It's their moment to take the reins, to show what they have learned during their time as a reserve, and to prove themselves a worthy wingman.

Prince William, 41, undertook his first solo engagement at 21 years old and has been a full-time working royal since 2017, when he left his position at the East Anglian Air Ambulance charity.

So when news hit of King Charles' cancer diagnosis, despite his wife Kate's ongoing recovery from abdominal surgery just weeks before, I really thought he was going to step up and get the job done.

I have to say I was a tad disappointed.