Following the "huge shock" of being diagnosed with cancer last year, the Princess of Wales and Prince William then had the unimaginably difficult task of breaking the news to their children. In an official video announcing her illness, Kate went on to reveal it took them time to explain everything to Prince George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that was "appropriate for them".
Now, Prince William has shared an insight into how the couple’s children were affected by their mum’s illness. In season 3 of Eugene Levy’s Apple TV+ show, The Reluctant Traveler, the future King said he and Kate went about things in a specific way to help them.
"Everyone has their own coping mechanisms for these sorts of things, and children are constantly learning and adapting," he told the Schitt’s Creek star. "We tried to make sure we give them the security and safety that they need."
The Prince of Wales quickly shattered the age-old stereotype of the Royal Family as being stoic and silent. He revealed that he and Kate are raising George, Charlotte and Louis in a household where talking about tough things is encouraged.
He continued, "We're a very open family, so we talk about things that bother us and affect us. But you never quite know the knock-on effects it can have, and so it is just important to be there for each other and reassure the children that everything is okay."
Being there, talking things through and offering reassurance is seemingly what helped the entire Wales family through what William has since described as the "hardest year" of his life. In September 2024 the Princess shared a powerful message with a video filmed by Will Warr, in which she said they’d had to "find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown".
"The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you," she added, as she confirmed she had completed her treatment.
During his chat with Eugene Levy on The Reluctant Traveler, William was asked how things are now and movingly spoke of his desire to protect Kate, their children and his father King Charles, who was also diagnosed with cancer last year.
He declared, "Things are good, everything is progressing in the right way which is all good news, but 2024 was the hardest year I’ve ever had. Trying to balance protecting the children, Catherine, my father needs a bit of protection and he’s old enough to do that himself as well, but it’s important my family feel protected and have the space to process a lot of the stuff that’s gone on last year."
The Prince also touched on the impact of the media scrutiny, which was intense in the months before Kate confirmed she had been diagnosed with cancer. In her absence from public life, speculation arose over why and William explained he takes "a very strong line about where [he] think[s] that line is and those who overstep it, [he] will fight against".
"But equally I understand that in my role there is interest, you have to work with the media they are all there so you have to have a grown up situation with it as well. It’s about knowing where the line is and what you're willing to put up with," he added.
Watch The Reluctant Traveler season 3 on Apple TV+, with new episodes landing every Friday.
