Prince William, 41, and Kate Middleton, 41, officially honored Queen Elizabeth II, one year after her death, by attending a special service, but they’ve also been honoring her in a different way. The Prince and Princess of Wales “are maintaining a good balance between carrying out their duties and raising their children as privately as possible,” royal author Sally Bedell Smith told PEOPLE. Getting that balance right is “something they think about every day,” and has been a way to honor the Queen, a source close to the family also added.
“The prince was incredibly close to his grandmother,” the source continued. “She was such a big part of his life and a real supporter of his work, and I’m sure he and the princess miss her presence.”
William and Kate were photographed attending a service for the Queen at St. Davids Cathedral in Wales on Sept. 8, which marked the first anniversary of her death. The latter appeared to get emotional when she laid a bouquet of flowers near a portrait of the Queen on the special day. The service included prayers in both Welsh and English, and a singing of “Thou Knowest, Lord, the Secrets of Our Hearts,” which proved to be touching.
Since Queen Elizabeth’s passing, William and Kate have been focused on the duties that are expected of them as working members of the royal family. Kate has worked on Shaping Us, a campaign focused on kids under age 5, while William has been working on the homelessness project, Homewards. He also met with President Joe Biden in Boston last December, and traveled to the border between Poland and Ukraine in March. He also plans on promoting his environmental Earthshot Prize during a visit to New York, later this month.
In addition to their royal work, William and Kate have been doting parents to their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5. All of them have participated in various royal outings since the day of the Queen’s death, which happened on their first full day of school last year. George, who is second in line to the throne, was a Page of Honor in his grandfather, King Charles‘ coronation in May. Charlotte and Louis were also present at the historical event, and had a lot of fun at the celebrations, including the star-studded concert, as well.
