The Prince and Princess of Wales experienced one of their toughest years to date in 2024 when Kate, now 44, was diagnosed with cancer. Now, a new book, extracts from which are being serialised in The Mirror, has revealed Prince William’s reaction to finding out about his wife’s illness.
In William and Catherine: The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story, The Mirror’s royal editor, Russell Myers wrote that upon finding out Kate had cancer, William was left in “a state of disbelief” before he and the princess gathered their three children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven, to break the news to them.
According to Myers, the couple told their children that “mummy was ill, but that she was going to be okay”. The book also details how William told close friends it was “like being hit by a bus”, “sudden, brutal, and completely disorienting”, adding: “One moment life was normal, and the next, everything changed.”
© Chris JacksonThe book also details William’s adoration for Kate: “He worships her, truly. She’s his world, and when the diagnosis came, it was as if the ground beneath him vanished.”
When was Kate’s cancer diagnosis made public?
The first the public knew of Kate’s cancer diagnosis was in March 2024 when the princess took to social media with a personal video. Filmed in the gardens at Windsor, Kate’s video saw her sitting on a bench as she told the world of her diagnosis.
© BBC StudiosThe princess said that when she had abdominal surgery in January 2024, it was not known that there was any cancer. She explained: “However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”
The form of cancer that Kate was diagnosed with has never been publicly disclosed. She underwent treatment in private and did not make an appearance at a royal engagement until June 2024, when she attended Trooping the Colour.
Kate announced the end of her treatment
In September 2024, she featured in a video alongside William and their children, which was shot in and around Anmer Hall, their country residence in Norfolk. In this video, the royal announced that she had finished her treatment.
© Kensington Palace“Despite all that has gone before, I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life,” the princess said. “William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time.
© Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace“Everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling. To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey – I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.”
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