Prince William opened up about the "hardest year" of his life during an appearance in Season 3 of The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy. The Prince of Wales invited Eugene Levy to Windsor Castle for a special tour in an episode titled “Living the Royal Life in the UK."
In a first look at the upcoming episode, airing on Oct. 3, the heir to the throne and the Schitt's Creek alum are seen in a pub, with William telling the the actor, “I’d say 2024 was the hardest year I’ve ever had. You know, life is sent to test us as well and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are."
William's father King Charles was diagnosed with a form of cancer last year. Over a month after Buckingham Palace announced the King's diagnosis, the Princess of Wales revealed that she was undergoing a course of preventative chemotherapy. When Catherine shared in September of 2024 that she had completed her treatment, the Princess said: "The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown. The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you."
While in South Africa for the fourth annual Earthshot Prize Awards, William reflected on 2024, calling it "dreadful." He admitted to reporters, "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."
"I'm so proud of my wife, I'm proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done," William added, but noted that "from a personal family point of view, it's been brutal."
The Princess of Wales has described the phase that comes after treatment as "really difficult." In July, she said (via PEOPLE), "You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment's done, then it's like, 'I can crack on, get back to normal,' but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult."
"You're not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you're not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to," Catherine continued. "And actually, someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment, I think is really valuable."
The Princess of Wales pointed out that it "takes time" to "find your new normal," calling it a "roller coaster, it's not smooth, like you expect it to be." She said, "But the reality is you go through hard times."
New episodes of The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy will premiere weekly on Apple TV+ until the finale on Oct. 31.