The Prince of Wales says it has been the hardest year of his life

The Prince of Wales has described the past year as the “toughest year” of his life.

At the end of his visit to South Africa, Prince William spoke to reporters about how he has been coping after both his wife and his father were diagnosed with cancer.

“It’s been horrible. It’s probably been the hardest year of my life. So it’s been really hard trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track,” he said after being asked how his year has been after a difficult year for the Royal Family.

Buckingham Palace revealed that the king had cancer February and would begin treatment. Just six weeks later it was announced The Princess of Wales was undergoing chemotherapy after a cancer diagnosis.

The King has since returned to public duties and Catherine has completed chemotherapy treatment.

Prince William said: “I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my dad, for dealing with the things they’ve done.

“But from a personal family point of view, it’s been brutal.”

On Friday, royal author Robert Hardman told the BBC’s Today program that the prince’s admission was part of a wider sense of the royal family “resetting the dial” on their public image.

He also referred to recent documentaries in which the Prince of Wales and the Queen have taken part, saying the monarchy had had “an extraordinary year”.

“It’s been a hell of a year – on the one hand he (William) is helping his wife through a very serious illness and he’s also expected to look after his father who is suffering from cancer,” Mr. Hardman, author of the recently published Charles III: New King. New court. The Inside Story, added.

“He’s held the fort through all of this”.

The Prince of Wales has been in South Africa for his Earthshot award ceremony.

Wednesday night, five projects each won £1m in prize money for their environmental innovations.

He was also asked about the role of Prince of Wales and whether he liked the freedom and responsibility that came with it.

“It’s a difficult one. Do I like more responsibility? No,” he said.

“Do I like the freedom of being able to build something like Earthshot, then yes.

“And that’s the future for me. It’s very important with my role and my platform that I do something for the good.

“That I’m helping people’s lives and I’m doing something that’s really meaningful.”

The prince has sported a beard since the summer, and it has divided opinion even among those closest to him, including his daughter Princess Charlotte.

“Well, Charlotte didn’t like it the first time. I was in tears so I had to shave it off. And then I grew it again. I thought, wait a minute, and I convinced her it was going to be okay.”

And on his general feelings about combining his role as a future king, husband and father, there was a sense that he had found the right mix of official duty and private time.

“I enjoy my work and I enjoy getting down to business and making sure I have time for my family too.”

The prince’s last day in Cape Town saw him learn more about the work of Abalobi, a 2023 Earthshot prize finalist, which aims to protect small fishing communities.

He was greeted with shouts of “we love you William” and chatted with local fishermen and women involved in the programme.

But later, a handful of vociferous protesters held up placards or chanted about a range of issues, including conflict in Israel, indigenous rights, the cull of baboons in the area and a lack of representation for local fishermen.