Prince William's Struggle: Acknowledging His “Hardest Year” Amid Family Cancer Diagnoses

In a poignant revelation, Jason Knauf, a former aide to Prince William and ex-CEO of the Royal Foundation, has opened up about the emotional turmoil the Prince experienced following the cancer diagnoses of both his wife, Kate, and his father, King Charles. In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Knauf recounted, "It was awful, absolutely awful. It’s the lowest I’ve ever seen him." 

He reflected on the shocking sequence of events that unfolded last year, stating, “Within a couple of weeks, if you’re Prince William, you find out that both your wife and your father have cancer. I couldn’t believe it.” Fortunately, Princess Catherine is now in remission, while King Charles continues to receive treatment.

The emotional strain was compounded by public speculation surrounding Kate’s health. Knauf noted that misinformation and conspiracy theories circulated online, questioning the legitimacy of her illness. "The problem was that all this crazy conspiracy theory stuff kicked off in the background, online. 'Was she really ill?’" he said. He emphasized that the royal family chose to keep the information private initially, as they grappled with how to relay the news to their children.

Reflecting on this challenging period, Prince William, 42, described the past year as the "hardest year" of his life during a visit to South Africa. He communicated the weight of his responsibilities and the emotional toll, stating, "It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year of my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult."