Prince William has described the past year as “the hardest of his life,” speaking candidly about the personal challenges he has faced, including his wife and father’s cancer diagnoses.
In an interview during his visit to South Africa for the Earthshot Prize Awards, the Prince of Wales admitted that balancing his public responsibilities while supporting his family has been extremely difficult.
“It’s been really hard trying to keep everything on track,” he shared. “But I’m so proud of my wife, and I’m proud of my father for handling everything they’ve had to go through.” He continued, saying that “from a personal family point of view,” the year has been “brutal.”
On a more positive note, William provided an update on Kate, saying, “She’s doing really well.”
Both King Charles and the Princess of Wales’ health battles were confirmed earlier this year. Charles, 75, resumed his treatment after returning from his tour of Australia and Samoa with wife Camilla.
Meanwhile, Kate, 42, completed a course of preventative chemotherapy in September. The Princess of Wales has also gradually returned to her public duties, recently joining William for a poignant visit to Southport.
Reflecting on the Earthshot Prize Awards, where he highlighted Africa’s environmental innovations and celebrated the climate solutions of the 15 finalists, William expressed satisfaction with the initiative’s progress.
“I’m really pleased with the progress we’ve made over the past four years,” he said.
When asked about future ambitions for the Prize, he noted that the language would soon shift from “just four years” to “Oh my God, it’s been four years.” He emphasized the importance of building a global environmental platform, despite the challenges it brings. “It takes time, effort, and balancing to get it right. But I was thrilled with the ceremony last night.”
William stressed that the key focus now is on making a real impact. “We need to translate the effort we’ve put into visibility into actual solutions,” he said. When discussing the role of companies in scaling up solutions, he urged them to act with urgency: “Hurry up and be courageous. Invest faster because we just don’t have that time.”
At the awards ceremony, the Prince was moved by Lebo M’s performance of Circle of Life, admitting it had made him feel “quite emotional.”
He also shared a lighthearted moment about his new beard, saying that his daughter Charlotte had cried when he first grew it but had since come around.
When asked about his role as the Prince of Wales, William reflected, “Do I like more responsibility? No. Do I like the freedom to build something like Earthshot? Yes.”
He emphasized the importance of using his platform for good and helping improve lives. “Earthshot is a culmination of all of that, but it takes a lot of work—lots of meetings, phone calls, and letters—to make it the best it can be.”
