The Prince and Princess of Wales have endured a difficult past year, with Princess Kate confirming her cancer diagnosis in early 2024, temporarily stepping away from her duties to focus on her recovery. And with King Charles also diagnosed with cancer in the same year, Prince William was forced to step up as future King while caring for his young family.
Former royal aide Jason Knauf has spoken out about the Wales’ difficult situation this weekend, opening up about Prince William’s behind the scenes state in an interview with 60 Minutes Australia.
“It was awful, absolutely awful,” explained Knauf, who has worked for the Prince and Princess of Wales for seven years in the past. “It's the lowest I've ever seen him."
He continued: “They didn't want to say yet that she had cancer because they hadn't told the children and they were still working through how to tell [them].”
"Honestly, it’s been dreadful," Prince William recalled last year when asked about the challenges of 2024. "It’s probably been the hardest year in my life. 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."
"He has lost his mother, he’s effectively lost his brother, his wife’s got cancer, his father’s got cancer, and he’s trying to keep the show on the road," royal expert Robert Hardman wrote at the time in his book, Charles III: New King. New Court. "It could hardly be more stressful."
Princess Kate, who is now in remission, has been vocal in her gratitude to her husband, crediting Prince William as a “great source of comfort and reassurance”, remaining strong for her and their three young children.
Royal experts have also added praise, describing Prince William as an “incredibly supportive” husband and “modern man whose family is more important to him than anything else."
We will continue to update this story.
