A former royal aide has given a moving insight into the effect the Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis had on her beloved husband.
In a rare television interview last week, Jason Knauf, a close confidant of the Prince of Wales, revealed it was "the lowest" he'd ever seen William following the devastating news that rocked the couple's world.
Kate has spoken previously about what a tough time it was for her family and how "life as you know it can change in an instant". And now Jason has offered a rare glimpse of what Prince William has been through since her diagnosis, despite the dignified and resilient face we are used to seeing in public.
Jason – who was press secretary to William, Kate, Harry and later Meghan from 2015 to 2019, and then CEO of William and Kate’s Royal Foundation before stepping down in 2021 – told 60 Minutes Australia about talking to William following the double blow of Kate’s and his father King Charles’ cancer diagnoses.
"Within a couple of weeks, you find out that both your wife and your father have cancer... It was awful, absolutely awful," he said, opening up about a personal phone call he had with William following the shocking slew of news. "It's the lowest I've ever seen him."
It's not hard to imagine the inner turmoil William, 42, was going through. Indeed, at the end of last year, the prince reflected on how 2024 had been "brutal" for the family, candidly telling reporters while in South Africa that it had been the "hardest" of his life.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1741065663/articles/6zNmLreVK1741067796264/6619616464.jpg]
Royal expert Jennie Bond agrees that dealing with both his wife’s and his father’s serious illnesses must have taken a terrible toll – and it is something Jason brought into sharp relief in his recent comments.
"Although William has told us that last year was brutal, we've only been able to imagine his despair when the call came through to tell them Catherine had cancer," she told new.
"But now Jason Knauf has brought home the reality of the situation, recounting how he had never seen William so down. It was clearly a really shocking day for them."
Of course, as anyone knows who has been through cancer or watched somebody they love battle it, the diagnosis is only the start.
Jennie said, "Then, the reality of the treatment and the prognosis sinks in. The side-effects of the treatment were obviously physically wearing, and then both Catherine and William had to deal with the mental pressures of it all – and of having to navigate how to tell the children and protect them."
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1741065663/articles/6zNmLreVK1741067796264/6191919615.jpg]
After announcing her cancer diagnosis on 22 March, the Princess of Wales explained she wanted to tell her and William’s three children – Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six – about her health first before informing the wider public.
"This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family," she said.
Kate, who underwent abdominal surgery last January, revealed, "As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate f...
In a rare television interview last week, Jason Knauf, a close confidant of the Prince of Wales, revealed it was "the lowest" he'd ever seen William following the devastating news that rocked the couple's world.
Kate has spoken previously about what a tough time it was for her family and how "life as you know it can change in an instant". And now Jason has offered a rare glimpse of what Prince William has been through since her diagnosis, despite the dignified and resilient face we are used to seeing in public.
Jason – who was press secretary to William, Kate, Harry and later Meghan from 2015 to 2019, and then CEO of William and Kate’s Royal Foundation before stepping down in 2021 – told 60 Minutes Australia about talking to William following the double blow of Kate’s and his father King Charles’ cancer diagnoses.
"Within a couple of weeks, you find out that both your wife and your father have cancer... It was awful, absolutely awful," he said, opening up about a personal phone call he had with William following the shocking slew of news. "It's the lowest I've ever seen him."
It's not hard to imagine the inner turmoil William, 42, was going through. Indeed, at the end of last year, the prince reflected on how 2024 had been "brutal" for the family, candidly telling reporters while in South Africa that it had been the "hardest" of his life.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1741065663/articles/6zNmLreVK1741067796264/6619616464.jpg]
Royal expert Jennie Bond agrees that dealing with both his wife’s and his father’s serious illnesses must have taken a terrible toll – and it is something Jason brought into sharp relief in his recent comments.
"Although William has told us that last year was brutal, we've only been able to imagine his despair when the call came through to tell them Catherine had cancer," she told new.
"But now Jason Knauf has brought home the reality of the situation, recounting how he had never seen William so down. It was clearly a really shocking day for them."
Of course, as anyone knows who has been through cancer or watched somebody they love battle it, the diagnosis is only the start.
Jennie said, "Then, the reality of the treatment and the prognosis sinks in. The side-effects of the treatment were obviously physically wearing, and then both Catherine and William had to deal with the mental pressures of it all – and of having to navigate how to tell the children and protect them."
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1741065663/articles/6zNmLreVK1741067796264/6191919615.jpg]
After announcing her cancer diagnosis on 22 March, the Princess of Wales explained she wanted to tell her and William’s three children – Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six – about her health first before informing the wider public.
"This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family," she said.
Kate, who underwent abdominal surgery last January, revealed, "As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate f...
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New UK (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 10, 2025