Prince William Opens Up About "Hardest Year" with Kate Middleton and The King

King Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton wearing black at the Duchess of Kent's funeral — (Image credit: Getty Images)

After watching both his wife and father get diagnosed with cancer in early 2024, Prince William had to navigate one of the toughest trials a family member could go through—with the added struggle of being in the public spotlight. The Prince of Wales previously opened up to the press about his "dreadful" 2024, and now he's revisited the topic during an episode of the new Apple TV+ series, The Reluctant Traveler.

The Prince of Wales is the unlikely guest star of an episode of the show, which features Schitt's Creek star Eugene Levy traveling around the globe. In a trailer for the episode, which premieres on Friday, October 3, Levy receives a written invitation from Prince William to visit Windsor Castle.

Joining the prince for a tour, William turns to Levy and quips, "We provide this service for everyone. We do personalized tours everywhere." The duo later joins the Wales family dog, Orla, for a walk through the park, and Levy asks the Prince of Wales, "What do you do when you're home?"

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Prince William and Eugene Levy sitting at a bar table drinking beer — Prince William joins Eugene Levy in *The Reluctant Traveler*.

Prince William posing in front of Windsor Castle with Eugene Levy — Prince William joins Eugene Levy in *The Reluctant Traveler*.

The Reluctant Traveler — Season 3 "Next On" Clip | Apple TV+ - YouTube

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"Sleep. When you have three small children, sleep is an important part of my life," he admitted with a laugh, referring to Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte 10, and Prince Louis, 7.

After sharing pints at a pub, Prince William opened up about the struggles his family has gone through in the past year. "I'd say 2024 was the hardest year I've ever had," he said, adding, "You know, life is sent to test us as well, and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are."

Princess Kate announced her cancer diagnosis in March 2024, just a month after King Charles revealed his own cancer battle.

While visiting South Africa for the 2024 Earthshot Prize ceremony, the Prince of Wales told journalists that he had struggled with balancing royal life and being there for his family. He admitted, "trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult."

"I'm so proud of my wife, I'm proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done," he added. "But from a personal family point of view, it's been, yeah, it's been brutal."

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.