Seeing one family member go through cancer is difficult enough, but two at once? It's an experience Prince William has called "brutal" in a new interview marking the end of his trip to South Africa on Nov. 7.
The Prince of Wales spoke with a group of journalists who traveled to Cape Town to cover the Earthshot Prize ceremony and its related events over the past week, and he shared that 2024 has been a challenge for him both personally and professionally.
"Honestly? It's been dreadful," William said with a sigh, per the Daily Mail. "It's probably been the hardest year in my life."
He continued that "trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult" while watching both The King and Princess Kate deal with cancer treatments.
"But I'm so proud of my wife, I'm proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done," the Prince of Wales said, adding, "from a personal family point of view, it's been, yeah, it's been brutal."
Princess Kate announced she'd completed chemotherapy treatments in a moving video the couple posted in September, and when asked about his wife's health, William replied, "She's doing well. Doing well."
While he's made an occasional comment about his wife's health during events, this is the most open Prince William has ever been when it comes to the Royal Family's cancer struggles this year. His interview marks a continuation of the new, candid approach the Wales family has shown when it comes to sharing their lives with the public.
William—who was greeted by both supermodel fans and angry protestors in Cape Town over his weeklong visit—said that while one reporter suggested his fan-favorite facial hair might give him a more "relaxed" look, he felt anything but.
"It's interesting you say that, because I couldn't be less relaxed this year, so it's very interesting you're all seeing that," he replied to the journalist, per People.
One royal who was definitely not "relaxed" about his beard was Princess Charlotte, with the Prince of Wales telling the media that his daughter cried when he first grew his facial hair.
“Well, Charlotte didn’t like it the first time. I got floods of tears, the first one I got tears, so I had to shave it off," he said, per People. However, the dad of three "convinced her it was going to be okay" and "grew it back."
Speaking about his future in the Royal Family and the increased duties that come with the Prince of Wales title, Prince William said, "It's a tricky one. Do I like more responsibility? No. Do I like the freedom that I can build something like Earthshot? Then yes."
At the end of the day, the future King said he's focused on making an impact. "It's very important with my role and my platform, that I'm doing something for good. That I'm helping people's lives and I'm doing something that is genuinely meaningful," he shared.
