Prince William's Private Agony: Future King Details the 'Challenges' of Telling His Three Young Children About Kate Middleton's Cancer Crisis
Prince William gave rare insight into how he and Middleton talked with their kids about her cancer crisis.
Nov. 10 2025, Updated 7:49 p.m. ET
Prince William opened up like never before about how he and his brave wife, Kate Middleton, talked to their three children about her terrifying cancer battle, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Prince of Wales, 43, admitted they sometimes "overshared" with Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, while their mom, 43, was undergoing chemotherapy and treatment for the disease in 2024, as the observant children picked up on so much.
'Hiding Stuff' Wouldn't Work With Their Children
William said he and Middleton communicated 'a lot more' with their kids amid her cancer crisis.
William explained, "I think it is very individual and sort of moment-dependent as to how you deal with those problems," during a sit-down with Brazilian TV host Luciano Huck, while in the country last week for the Earthshot Prize awards.
During Middleton's cancer battle, the prince admitted that they "chose to communicate a lot more with our children."
"Now, that has its good things and its bad things. Sometimes you feel you're oversharing with the children you probably shouldn’t," he confessed. "But most of the time, hiding stuff from them doesn’t work."
Not Wanting the Kids to Feel 'Anxious'
Middleton's cancer was detected after a January 2024 abdominal surgery.
William and Middleton felt it was best to explain as much as they could about what their mother was going through and to let the kids ask anything they wanted, so they wouldn't feel left in the dark.
The royal said he didn't want the children to feel "anxious" about what their mom was going through, wisely pointing out, "There's a lot more questions when there's no answers."
"But it is always a balancing act — every parent knows that," William advised. "It’s, 'How much do I say? What do I say? When do I say?' There’s no manual for being a parent, you’ve just got to go with it – a bit of instinct."
'Reassuring' Their Children Through Her Cancer Crisis
Middleton made sure to include how her kids were doing when announcing her cancer diagnosis.
The Princess of Wales was forced to reveal her cancer diagnosis in March 2024 after she underwent major abdominal surgery two months prior. In her video, she made sure to note that she and William were focused on keeping their children informed and not scared about their mom's health.
"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 explained about the presence of cancer being found following her operation, and that she was in the early stages of treatment.
Middleton added, "It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK."
Her 'New Normal'
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Middleton opened up to cancer patients in July about her 'life-changing' battle with the disease.
Middleton mainly remained out of sight in 2024 while undergoing chemotherapy. She revealed in September of that year that she had completed her treatment, and in January shared the wonderful news that her cancer was in remission.
The princess called the experience a "roller coaster" during a July visit to a hospital in Colchester, England, while revealing she was still feeling lingering effects.
"You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism, through treatment. Treatment's done, and it's like, 'I can crack on, get back to normal again,' but actually that phase afterwards is a really difficult time," she confessed to fellow cancer patients. "You're not able to function normally at home as you were perhaps once used to."
"It's life-changing for anyone, through first diagnosis or post-treatment and things like that, it is a life-changing experience both for the individual patient, but also for the families as well," Middleton told hospital staffers.
"And actually, it sometimes goes unrecognized, you don't necessarily, particularly when it's the first time, you don't appreciate how much impact it is going to have. You have to find your new normal, and that takes time."
