Prince William is getting candid about the challenges his family faced when Catherine, Princess of Wales, and King Charles III were both diagnosed with cancer last year.
The Prince of Wales had an intimate conversation with Eugene Levy about his family’s health and how his three children were affected by the news in the latest episode of the Apple TV+ series “The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy,” out Oct. 3.
Charles’ cancer diagnosis was first announced in February 2024. Shortly after, in March 2024, the former Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis was revealed. She is now in remission.
“Things are good. Everything’s progressing in the right way, which is all good news,” William told Levy of his wife’s and father’s current health.
The 43-year-old royal added that it’s important for him that his “family feel protected and have the space to process” what has happened over the last year.
When asked how his children — Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 — were affected by their mother’s diagnosis, William said, “Everyone has their own coping mechanisms for these sorts of things, and children are constantly learning and adapting.”
“We try to make sure you give them the security and the safety that they need. And we’re a very open family, so we talk about things that bother us and things that trouble us,” he continued. “But you never quite know the knock-on effects it can have. So it’s just important to be there for each other and to, kind of, reassure the children that everything’s OK.”
Later in the conversation, the “Schitt’s Creek” star brought up the quote, “If you don’t have your health, what have you got?” Levy added that as a person gets older, their perspective on life and health changes.
“We’ve been very lucky,” William said, explaining how his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, were in their 90s when they died.
“But I think when you suddenly realize that the rug … can be pulled from under your feet quite quick at any point, you maybe think to yourself, ‘It won’t happen to us. We’ll be OK.’ Because I think everyone has a positive outlook. You’ve got to be positive,” William said, adding, “But when it does happen to you, then it takes you into some pretty, you know, not great places.”
William had previously shared similar sentiments about 2024 being a difficult year during a trip to Cape Town, South Africa, in November 2024.
“Honestly, it’s been dreadful,” he said, according to Sky News. “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,” he added.