Prince William calls 2024 the hardest year of his life: “Life is said to test us”

Prince William called 2024 the “hardest year” of his life in a preview for a rare television interview. 

The year saw William’s wife Katherine, Princess of Wales, and his father, King Charles, diagnosed with and treated for cancer. William and Kate, as she is commonly called, share three young children. The prince and his younger brother, Prince Harry, also remain distant. 

“I’d say 2024 was the hardest year I’ve ever had,” William was shown telling “Schitt’s Creek” star Eugene Levy in a preview for an episode of Levy’s Apple TV+ show “The Reluctant Traveler.” 

The full episode will be aired on Oct. 3. One clip from the preview showed William giving Levy a tour of Windsor Castle. Another showed the two men sitting at a pub, sharing a pint. 

“Life is said to test us as well, and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are,” William said in the preview. 

Charles, 76, announced his cancer diagnosis in February 2024. It was discovered while he underwent treatment for an enlarged prostate. Buckingham Palace did not say what kind of cancer he had, but said it was not of the prostate. The king resumed public appearances in May 2024.

“Each diagnosis, each new case, will be a daunting and at times frightening experience for those individuals and their loved ones,” Charles wrote in a booklet given to guests at Buckingham Palace event celebrating cancer charities in April 2025. “But as one among those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity.”

Kate’s announcement that she had cancer came just six weeks after the king’s. Kate, 43, also did not say what kind of cancer she had, but said she had undergone chemotherapy to treat it. The announcement followed weeks of speculation about Kate’s wellbeing. In September 2024, the princess said she had completed chemotherapy and made a return to public duties. In January, she said she was in remission. 

While visiting a cancer support center in July 2025, Kate compared cancer recovery to “a roller coaster.” 

“You go through hard times,” the princess said. The difficulties continue even after treatment, she added. 

“You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to,” she said.