Prince William got candid this week about the “brutal” and heartbreaking year 2024 has been, as wife Kate Middleton and father King Charles have navigated their respective cancer journeys.

“It’s been dreadful,” he told People from South Africa, where he was presiding over the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony for climate change innovation, which he founded. “It’s probably been the hardest year in my life.”

He said he’s managed by simply powering through, inspired by the strength of the king and the Princess of Wales.

“But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done,” William said. “But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”

With three small children and royal duties, on top of a fairly new role as the Prince of Wales in the wake of the 2022 death of Queen Elizabeth II, William had his hands full.

In January, Kate underwent “planned abdominal surgery,” disappearing from public life for weeks amid speculation about her health.

The following month, King Charles announced that cancer had been discovered during a routine surgical procedure. He has been undergoing treatment while tailoring his official duties to fit it in.

Then in March, the princess announced her own cancer diagnosis in a poignant video, revealing she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy. She remained out of public life for the most part until finishing her treatment in September and has slowly begun to pick up the reins.

While she could not join William in South Africa, Princess Kate is on the mend, he said, adding she would be cheering him on from home at Windsor Castle.

“She’s doing really well thanks,” William told the BBC. “She’s been amazing this whole year. I know she will be really keen to see tonight be a success.”

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