King Charles and Prince William are closer than perhaps ever before in modern times, but their past was not always smooth sailing: "If there were any green-eyed monsters or rivalry between the two, that is a thing of the past," a friend of the king told The Sunday Times . 'The king sees his son as a useful ally in family matters and, more recently, in fulfilling his duties to the state and the nation. When you are the monarch, you do not count column inches. Think about doing your part for your country, not only as King Charles, but as a "family."

This is true, and according to the Daily Beast, William is aware that "he is much more popular than his father in the polls" (which has apparently irritated the King in the past), but according to the Sunday Times, William "does not change his father's pitch" That is, he is conscious of not overshadowing his father out of respect for his role as monarch (and William as heir to the throne).

"He [William] very much wants to support his father," a source close to William told The Sunday Times. 'It's not the first time that's happened, but of course with everything the King is going through with his treatment, he will continue to support him as best he can.' For example, William supported his father and was present at times during the D-Day 80th anniversary celebrations in Normandy, France, last week. William will also ride in the back of his father's carriage to review the troops at Trooping the Colour this coming Saturday, June 15.

In addition to Prince Charles' shocking cancer diagnosis earlier this year (for which he is still undergoing treatment), William and his father have been dealing with what one source told The Sunday Times is a "messy family matter," namely Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's return as active royals in 2020. and Prince Andrew's alleged sexual assault and bonding over his relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. The king's tendency to consult William on these issues "has helped ease past anxieties and enhance their personal and professional relationship," writes Tim Tiemann in The Daily Beast.

The Daily Mail followed suit, writing that the rivalry between Charles and William is now a thing of the past and that Harry and Andrew's problems have brought them closer together. The paper writes that "Prince Charles may once have disliked his son's prominence in public, but he is willing to change his mind with cancer treatments and an increasingly small number of working royals," and later adds that "with William as a sounding board and his [Prince Charles'] cancer treatment continues, it is hardly surprising that the Prince of Wales is replacing and working with his father in a larger role in senior royal positions," it added.