Prince William Was "Completely Crestfallen" When Princess Kate Received Cancer Diagnosis

Princess Kate shared her cancer diagnosis with the world in March 2024. Revealing she'd been undergoing preventative chemotherapy, Kate said in a video shared on X, "It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family." She continued, "It was thought [in January] that my condition was non-cancerous... However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present."

While promoting his new book, Catherine, the Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen, author Robert Jobson spoke to Us Weekly about Prince William's reaction to his wife's diagnosis. "It was devastating for him," Jobson explained. The royal expert also described William as being "completely crestfallen," particularly as his father King Charles III had recently been diagnosed with cancer, too.

Elaborating on William's potential reaction to discovering Princess Kate had cancer, Jobson suggested the prince had "a lump in [his] throat" and an "empty feeling in his stomach." "It wobbled him," Jobson explained. "There’s no doubt about that."

Jobson suggested that Princess Kate and King Charles encouraged Prince William to lead the royal family during the troubling time. According to Jobson, Kate and Charles told William, "We need you now to stand up to the plate."

As Princess Kate and King Charles both reduced their official duties, William's workload reportedly multiplied. But according to Jobson, Kate remained supportive of her husband as he became the public face of the royal family. "[Kate] has been good in making sure that that happens," Jobson told the publication. "She’s shown him that she’s there for him as well as him there for her."

In an interview with Hello! magazine, Jobson also discussed Kate's approach to raising her kids, especially in light of her recent diagnosis. "With her children, she made it very clear to both the late Queen and to the Prince of Wales, as he was—now the King—that she's not going to be rushed into doing things that she doesn't necessarily want to do," he explained. Suggesting Kate was exceedingly brave for taking a stand about the issue, Jobson continued, "That takes quite a lot of courage, because you're in a very alien world... But I think she realizes that she only has one shot at this. She's got three young children, and they have to come first."