Prince William says past year has been his 'hardest' with King Charles, Kate Middleton facing cancer

Prince William is opening up for the first time publicly about the toll the past year has taken on him as both his wife, Princess Kate, and father, King Charles III, were diagnosed with cancer.

"I'm so proud of my wife, I'm proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done," William told reporters in a candid conversation at the end of his trip to South Africa this week, later adding, "But from a personal family point of view, it's been, yeah, it's been brutal."

Kate, who shares three children with William, announced in March that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. Kate has not revealed what type of cancer she was diagnosed with, but said in September that she had completed treatment.

Kate's announcement that she was diagnosed with cancer came after months of public speculation about the 42-year-old princess, who took time off from public duties starting in January, when she underwent abdominal surgery.

Kate and her father-in-law, Charles, were briefly hospitalized at the same time at the same London hospital in January, when Kate was recovering from surgery and Charles underwent a procedure to treat an enlarged prostate, according to Buckingham Palace.

In February, the palace announced that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer. The palace has not specified the type of cancer, the stage of cancer, or the type of treatment.

Both Kate and Charles stepped away from public duties for different amounts of time due to their health, which put the public-facing responsibilities of royal life squarely on William and his stepmother, Queen Camilla.

"Honestly, it's been dreadful," William told reporters, describing the stress of the past year. "It's probably been the hardest year in my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult."

William, who is estranged from his only sibling, Prince Harry, said he has focused on simply carrying on over the past year, and trying to strike a balance between his royal duties and family.

"It's more a case of just crack on and you've got to keep going," he said. "I enjoy my work and I enjoy pacing myself, and keeping sure that I have got time for my family, too."

William spent time in South Africa this week without Kate or their kids to attend the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony on Nov. 6, an annual event he launched in 2020 as a way to honor the most innovative and impactful climate solutions.

Throughout his trip, William wore a beaded friendship bracelet featuring the word "Papa," the name he is called by his three children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte.

The bracelet was made by Charlotte when she and George attended a Taylor Swift concert in London this summer with William, the prince told reporters in South Africa.