Prince William opens up about the 'hardest year' of his life amid Kate's cancer diagnosis

In a new episode of the Apple TV+ travel series The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy, the Schitt's Creek actor, 78, arrives in London for his latest adventure before receiving an invitation from William to visit the castle.

During the episode, Living The Royal Life In The UK, the prince opens up to Levy and describes 2024 as the “hardest year” of his life.

He said: "I’d say 2024 was the hardest year I’ve ever had.

"Life is said to test us as well and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are."

The comments come after the Princess of Wales announced in March 2024 that she was receiving treatment for cancer.

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Kate revealed in March 2024 that she was receiving treatment for cancer, following her abdominal surgery in January.

The princess said that she had been keeping it private so she and William could take their time explaining what had happened to their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Details of the type of cancer and stage it is at were kept private.

Sharing a health update in September 2024, she said the past nine months had been "incredibly tough" for the family, adding that the cancer journey is "complex, scary and unpredictable".

She said it had been a reminder for both her and William "to be grateful for the simple yet important things in life".

William has previously spoken about how "dreadful" 2024 was for the family, saying: "Honestly, it's been dreadful. 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.

"But I'm so proud of my wife, I'm proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done.

"But from a personal family point of view, it's been, yeah, it's been brutal."

In a teaser video of the upcoming episode of The Reluctant Traveler, Levy reads out an invitation which says: "I heard that your travels have brought you to the UK and I wondered if you might like to see Windsor Castle?

"If you’re free at 10 tomorrow, why don’t you pop down to the Castle for a private tour. Would be great to see you!"

After a tour of the castle, Levy asks William what he does when he is at home.

Laughing, the prince replies: "Sleep.

"When you have three small children, sleep is an important part of my life."

The series follows the Schitt’s Creek co-creator as he pushes himself out of his comfort zone and ticks off his travel bucket list.

The upcoming season will see Levy joined by the likes of Grammy Award-winner Michael Buble, Levy’s daughter Sarah Levy, K-Pop boy band NOWZ, and former India cricketer Rahul Dravid.

New episodes of The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy premiere weekly until the finale on October 31 2025.

The special episode with the Prince of Wales will air on October 3.