Being diagnosed with cancer—or watching a family member go through it—is one of the most difficult things imaginable. For Prince William and Princess Kate, they've not only been tested with multiple family health battles, but they've faced an unrelenting series of other personal and public challenges over the past five years. Despite everything the Prince and Princess of Wales has been through, they've come out on top—with one royal expert noting how their marriage has become stronger than ever.
When it comes to their marriage, royal historian Amanda Foreman told People that the couple shows "a sense of protectiveness and partnership." She added, "The last five years have been a nightmare for them in every possible way—the past year even more so. That either crushes a marriage, or it brings them together."
The "nightmare" began in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's departure from the U.K. As former royal aide Jason Knauf recently said in a 60 Minutes Australia interview, the rift between William and his brother has been "hard and sad" for everyone involved. "It's very difficult to have this stuff play out in the public eye," he added.
Adding on the death of Prince William's grandfather, Prince Philip, in 2021, followed by another momentous loss just a year later when Queen Elizabeth died, would test any couple's resolve. But the late Queen's death was especially significant because it marked an enormous shift in William and Kate's duties. And just as they were finding their footing as the new Prince and Princess of Wales, The King was diagnosed with cancer in January 2024 following a procedure for an enlarged prostate.
With an elderly King fighting cancer, Prince William and his wife were forced to prepare for their own future roles on the throne much sooner than they had likely anticipated—and then a month later, the Princess of Wales announced her own cancer diagnosis. It's a "dreadful" time period the Prince of Wales told reporters was "the hardest year in my life."
In September 2024, the princess announced she had completed chemotherapy, returning to periodic duties like Remembrance Sunday and her annual Christmas carol concert. In January 2025, Princess Kate revealed that she was officially in remission.
Foreman noted that the events of the past five years have only made the couple closer, and during a time of dramatic world events, a united Prince and Princess of Wales is what the U.K. needs. The historian added, "The international stage is so unstable, it is rather extraordinary to see how both have risen to the occasion."
