Prince William says past year has been 'probably the hardest in his life' after Charles and Kate's cancer diagnoses
7 November 2024, 22:12 | Updated: 7 November 2024, 23:09
Prince William has said the the past year has been probably the hardest in his life, after his father and wife were both diagnosed with cancer.
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William spoke candidly about the royal family's major health scares, saying 2024 had been a "dreadful" experience.
The Princess of Wales has talked about her cancer journey, describing in a video how the episode had been "incredibly tough for us as a family", but this is the first time the prince has revealed his thoughts in detail.
When asked about his year, William replied: "Honestly, it's been dreadful. It's probably been the hardest year in my life.
"So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.
"But I'm so proud of my wife, I'm proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done.
"But from a personal family point of view, it's been, yeah, it's been brutal."
Kate appeared in a deeply personal video with her family in September to confirm her return to public duties following the completion of a course of chemotherapy.
The princess' heartfelt message about her cancer journey was spoken over images showing the Waleses and their children enjoying the outdoors, and she said her focus now was "doing what I can to stay cancer free".
The King's cancer diagnosis was announced in February and he has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of the disease as an outpatient, but will be returning to fuller duties and greater overseas travel next year.
The prince's comments were made in an interview with British media covering his four-day visit to South Africa, which ended on Thursday, to stage his Earthshot Prize in Cape Town.
When told he appeared relaxed, the prince replied: "I couldn't be less relaxed this year."
It appears his work recognising environmental entrepreneurs with the Earthshot Prize or trying to find solutions to end homelessness have provide an antidote to his tough year.
"It's more a case of just crack on and you've got to keep going," he said.
"I enjoy my work and I enjoy pacing myself, and keeping sure that I have got time for my family too."
