The Prince of Wales has spoken candidly about the challenges he has faced in 2024, including his father and wife both being diagnosed with cancer.
In an emotional and open interview during the Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony in South Africa, Prince William expressed pride in how his family has handled the difficult times.
The Prince of Wales said who was so proud of his wife who has undergone treatment for cancer this year. (/Kensington Palace/video still)
When asked about the toll 2024 has taken, William described it as ‘dreadful’ and ‘the hardest year’ of his life. He admitted, ‘trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult’.
Earlier in the year, the Princess of Wales underwent abdominal surgery, later revealing she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer. Shortly after Catherine’s surgery, King Charles III was treated for an enlarged prostate, which led to a cancer diagnosis. Reflecting on their resilience, William said he was ‘so proud’ of his wife and father for their strength but admitted, ‘from a family point of view, it’s been brutal’.
William noted how difficult this year has been for his family whilst his father and wife underwent treatment for cancer. (Royal Family/Twitter)
Adjusting to New Responsibilities as Prince of Wales
The interview also touched on William’s transition to becoming the Prince of Wales after his father’s accession to the throne. When asked if he enjoyed the increased responsibility, he replied bluntly, ‘No’. However, he noted the position grants him the freedom to champion initiatives like Earthshot, which he described as the future focus of his royal work. In recent years, The Prince has not only launched The Earthshot Prize, but he has also seen the launch of his Homewards programme, which aims to demonstrate it is possible to end homelessness.
“It’s very important with my role and my platform that I’m doing something for good, that I’m helping people’s lives, and that I’m doing something genuinely meaningful,” he said. Discussing Earthshot, The Prince of Wales explained, “It’s a culmination of all that put together. But it takes a lot of work—there’s a lot of unseen stuff: meetings, letters, phone calls—all aimed at making Earthshot the best possible entity it can be.”
The Prince of Wales met the 2024 Finalists of the Earthshot Prize during his visit to South Africa. (Kensington Palace).
While excited about the ‘Earthshot movement’, William expressed ‘frustration’ over the slow response from some sectors. He explained, ‘When you approach businesses or governments and say, ‘We’re building this incredible thing, please come on board,’ some are extremely fast and keen. Others take longer, and I think, ‘Guys, we just don’t have the time’.’
In a direct appeal to businesses, he urged, ‘hurry up and be courageous. Invest faster, because we just don’t have that time’.
Family and the Future
In recent months, William has sported a beard, sparking reactions from his family. “Charlotte didn’t like it the first time—there were floods of tears,” he joked, adding that he eventually convinced his daughter it was fine.
The Prince of Wales sported a beard during a visit to Cranwell. (Ministry of Defence)
As times change, so does the Monarchy, William has revealed that he is taking a more modern view to royal duties with ‘a smaller R in the royal’.
He said that he ‘can only describe what I’m trying to do, and that is, I’m trying to do it differently and I’m trying to do it for my generation. And to give you more of an understanding around it, I’m doing it with maybe a smaller R in the royal, if you like, that’s maybe a better way of saying it’.
He said that his approach is ‘more about impact, philanthropy, collaboration, convening and helping people and I’m also going to throw empathy in there as well, because I really care about what I do. It helps and impacts people’s lives. And I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world’.
This ethos is shared by the Princess of Wales, who William said is equally committed to fostering empathy and making a positive impact.
The Prince and Princess of Wales hope to bring more empathetic leadership around the world.
Looking forward, The Prince was ‘hopeful’ that his wife would join him on overseas visits next year as she continues to slowly return to royal duties. William and Catherine’s last joint overseas trip was to Jordan in June 2023 for the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Miss Rajwa Khalid Al-Saif . Their last major joint trip was to the US in November 2022 for the third Earthshot Prize.
In a moving message in September, Catherine said her journey isn’t over yet and her ‘path to healing and full recovery is long’ and she must take each day as it comes but is ‘looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months’.
