Prince William has told wife Kate Middleton and his father King Charles about facing the “toughest year of my life” after being diagnosed with cancer in 2024.
The Prince of Wales, 42, opened up about his “brutal” year during an interview with reporters in Cape Town, South Africa, on Thursday.
According to People magazine, William said, “It’s been horrible. It’s probably been the hardest year of my life.”
Prince William shared that 2024 has been “probably the hardest year of my life” after Kate Middleton and King Charles were diagnosed with cancer. (Getty)
“So, it’s been really hard to deal with everything else and keep everything on track,” he said.
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“But I’m very proud of my wife, I’m very proud of my dad, for the job he’s done,” Williams said. “But, from a personal family standpoint, it has been, yes, it has been brutal.”
In February, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles, 75, had been diagnosed with a type of cancer and was undergoing treatment.
“It’s been horrible. It’s probably been the hardest year of my life.”
In March, Middleton revealed her own cancer diagnosis and shared that she was undergoing preventive chemotherapy. In a video shared in September, the 42-year-old princess revealed that she is cancer free after completing her treatment.
During their interview, William shared an update on Middleton’s health and told reporters that she is “doing well.”
William said his wife, who was announced cancer-free in September, is “doing well.” (Getty Images)
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When told he appeared “relaxed”, William replied, “I couldn’t be any less relaxed this year, so it’s very interesting that you all are seeing it.
“But it’s just a matter of moving forward, and you have to keep moving forward.
“I enjoy my work, and I enjoy pacing myself and making sure I have time for my family, too,” said William, whose sons Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, 6, and daughter Prince Charlotte, 9. With Middleton.
William’s interview came at the end of his visit to Cape Town, where he attended the fourth annual Earthshot Awards ceremony. In 2020, the Prince established the Earthshot Awards to help entrepreneurs develop climate-friendly businesses. During the ceremony on Wednesday, the Earthshot Awards awarded $1.2 million to five businesses for their sustainable, eco-friendly innovations.
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Speaking on stage during the ceremony, William said the Earthshot Prize was created to “champion dreamers, thinkers and innovators from every walk of life who share the ambition to create a better, more sustainable world. ”
The Prince traveled to Cape Town to attend the 2024 Earthshot Awards awards ceremony. (Phil Noble/Pool/Getty Images)
According to People, William told reporters that he hoped his children would have watched the Earthshot Awards, which were livestreamed on YouTube.
William also shared Charlotte’s reaction to the scraggly beard he grew over the summer. While William is known for being clean-shaven, he sported a beard for the first time in eight years as he and Middleton congratulated Team Great Britain on their success at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Charlotte didn’t like it at first,” the prince said. “I had floods of tears, the first time I had tears. So, I have to shave it. And then I grew it back out. I thought, ‘Wait a minute,’ and I reassured her it would be OK.”