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Prince William has described 2024 as the most difficult year of his life, revealing the toll of watching both his wife, Princess Kate, and his father, King Charles III, confront cancer diagnoses. The Prince of Wales, 43, shared his reflections during a rare appearance on Eugene Levy's Apple TV+ travel series, The Reluctant Traveler.
In the episode, which airs October 3, William welcomes Levy to Windsor Castle after inviting him for a "private tour" in a handwritten note on Kensington Palace stationery. Greeting the Schitt's Creek star with humour, William quipped, "We provide this service for everyone. We do personalized tours everywhere."
The pair explored the castle grounds alongside the family's black cocker spaniel, Orla, before sitting down for a pint in a local pub. There, the future king candidly admitted, "I'd say 2024 was the hardest year I've ever had. You know, life is sent to test us and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are."
The challenges he referred to were deeply personal. In March 2024, Princess Kate announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer following major surgery. The news came as a shock to the family, and she spoke about the difficulty of helping her children understand the situation in a way they could handle. By January 2025, she shared that she was in remission after months of chemotherapy, but acknowledged that recovery was not straightforward, describing it as a journey with both progress and setbacks.
King Charles also faced his own health battle. Buckingham Palace announced in February 2024 that a form of cancer had been detected during a hospital procedure. While continuing with state paperwork, he postponed public-facing duties to undergo treatment.
William previously called the period "brutal," telling an audience in South Africa last year, "It's probably been the hardest year in my life. But I'm so proud of my wife, I'm proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. From a personal family point of view, it's been, yeah, it's been brutal."
Away from the serious conversations, Levy asked the prince what he enjoyed most when at home. William laughed and replied, "Sleep. When you've got three small children, sleep is an important part of my life."
Season three of The Reluctant Traveler features other high-profile guests, including Michael Bublé, K-pop band NOWZ, and former cricketer Rahul Dravid.
