Prince William Struggled To Come To Terms With His Wife’s Cancer Diagnosis

Reflecting on his family’s history of good health, he described how the news “took [him] to some pretty not great places.”

Kate Middleton has since completed treatment and returned to public duties, while King Charles recently shared that he is “not doing too bad.”

William got candid about the emotional toll of learning that his wife and his father were diagnosed with cancer within months of each other.

In a preview clip from his upcoming appearance on Apple TV+’s “The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy”, the Prince of Wales admitted the experience took him to “some pretty not great places.”

Reflecting on his family’s history, William noted they had enjoyed remarkably good health for generations.

“We hadn’t had many illnesses in the family for a very long time,” he explained, recalling how his late grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, lived into their late nineties and embodied strength, endurance, and resilience.

“They were the vision of fitness, stoicism, and resilience, if you like. So we’ve been very lucky as a family,” he added, per Page Six. “But I think, when you suddenly realize that the rug, if you were the metaphorical rug, can be pulled from under your feet quite quick at any point.”

That history of good health, William explained, made the dual diagnoses all the more jarring.

“You maybe think to yourself, ‘It won’t happen to us, we’ll be OK,'” he reflected. “Because I think everyone has a positive outlook, you’ve got to be positive. But when it does happen to you, then it takes you into some pretty not great places.”

The royal household was dealt a heavy blow last year when both Charles, 76, and Kate, 43, announced they had been diagnosed with cancer.

In February 2024, Buckingham Palace disclosed that Charles’ illness had been discovered following treatment for a benign prostate condition.

Just a month later, Kate shared in a video message that she had begun chemotherapy after her own diagnosis.

She completed her treatment in September 2024 and, four months later, confirmed she was cancer-free.

“I remain focused on recovery,” she wrote in January, adding that “as anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust.”

In recent months, the Princess of Wales has gradually returned to her public duties, appearing at Trooping the Colour in June and later joining the royal family for the state banquet in the UK last month.

Charles also gave a brief health update in September, remarking that he was “not doing too bad,” a rare personal comment on his ongoing recovery.

During his appearance, William also allowed a rare glimpse of his personal emotions, speaking openly about the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

“I do actually, yeah, I do miss my grandmother, and my grandfather,” he admitted when asked by Levy about his late grandparents. “It’s been quite a bit of change,” he said, adding that he often thinks about them “not being here anymore.”

The exchange took place while William guided the “Schitt’s Creek” actor around Windsor on an e-scooter, pointing out places tied closely to the Queen’s memory.

“She loved it here; she spent most of her time here,” he explained, noting her affection for Windsor Great Park and Windsor Castle. “For me, Windsor is her.”

He added that leading the tour carried a sense of duty: “Showing you around today is very much a case of trying to make sure I’m doing it in the way she’d want you to see it. She had her horses here as well, as you can imagine, that was a big deal for her, so that’s why she loved it here.”