Prince William admits family’s cancer diagnoses took him to ‘some not pretty great places’

Prince William admitted his dad, King Charles III, and his wife, Kate Middleton, being diagnosed with cancer at the same time took him to “some pretty not great places.”

In a preview of the Prince of Wales’ upcoming appearance on Apple TV+’s “The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy,” William said his family has been “lucky” because they “hadn’t had many illnesses in the family for a very long time.”

“My grandparents lived until they were in the high nineties,” the dad of three said, referring to his late paternal grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who died in September 2022 and April 2021, respectively.

“They were the vision of fitness and stoicism and resilience, if you like. So we’ve been very lucky as a family,” William, 43, added.

“But I think, when you suddenly realize that the rug, if you were the metaphorical rug, can be pulled from under your feet quite quick at any point.”

William said he never thought both his wife and his father would be diagnosed with cancer within months of each other.

“You maybe think to yourself, ‘It won’t happen to us, we’ll be OK,’” he shared.

“Because I think everyone has a positive outlook, you’ve got to be positive. But when it does happen to you, then it takes you into some pretty not great places,” William said.

The royal family was rocked by health issues last year when Charles, 76, and Middleton, 43, announced they were diagnosed with cancer.

In February 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that the monarch learned of his diagnosis after he underwent a procedure for benign prostate enlargement.

The following month, the Princess of Wales released a video, saying she was in the early stages of chemotherapy treatment.

Middleton completed her chemotherapy treatment in September 2024 and four months later, revealed her cancer-free status in a lengthy statement.

“I remain focused on recovery,” she wrote in January. “As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust.”

Middleton slowly resumed her royal roles in the last few months, attending Trooping the Colour in June and the UK state banquet last month.

Meanwhile, in September, Charles shared a rare update on his health, saying he was “not [doing] too bad.”

Season 3, episode 4 of “The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy” premieres on Apple TV Friday.