It's hard enough just to watch one of your family members get cancer, but to have two of them get cancer at the same time. ......” Prince William described the experience as “brutal” in a new interview marking the end of his November 7 visit to South Africa.

Speaking to journalists who visited Cape Town last week to cover the Earth Shot Awards ceremony and related events, the Crown Prince said that 2024 had been a challenge for him, both personally and professionally.

“Honestly, it sucked,” William said with a sigh. It was probably the hardest year of my life.”

He went on to say that as he watched the King and Queen Kate work through their cancer treatments together, “it was really difficult to get through everything else and try to get everything back on track.”

“But I'm proud of my wife, and I'm proud of my father, for dealing with what they've done,” the Prince of Wales said, adding, “From a personal family perspective, it was, yeah, brutal.”

Princess Kate announced that she had finished chemotherapy in an emotional video posted by the couple in September, and when asked about his wife's health, William said, “She's fine. She's doing well."

Although he has occasionally commented on his wife's health during events, Prince William has been the most open about the Royal Family's battle with cancer so far this year. His interview marks a continuation of the new, frank approach that the Welsh family has shown in sharing their lives with the public.

During a week-long visit to Cape Town, where he was greeted by both supermodel fans and angry protesters, William said that one reporter suggested that his fan-favorite facial hairstyle might make him seem more “relaxed,” but he felt otherwise.

“It's interesting that you say that, because I've been working with a lot of people who have been doing this for a long time. There's no way I'm not relaxed this year, so it's very interesting that you guys are seeing that,” he told the journalist, according to People.

One royal who was definitely not “relaxed” about his beard was Princess Charlotte, the Prince of Wales, who told the media that his daughter cried when he grew his facial hair for the first time.

“Yes, Princess Charlotte didn't like it at first. The first time, she burst into tears, and that's why she shaved it off,” People magazine said. But the father of three “convinced her it was okay” and “let it grow back.”

Prince William said of his future in the royal family and the increased duties that come with the title of Prince of Wales, “It's tricky. Do you like the increased responsibility? No, I don't. I like the freedom of being able to create something like Earthshot.

At the end of the day, the future king said he is focused on making an impact. 'It's very important to me to be doing something good with my role and my platform. I'm helping people's lives and doing something genuinely meaningful.'