ANNUS HORRIBILIS

Prince William Opens Up About the ‘Hardest Year I’ve Ever Had’

“Life is sent to test us, and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are,” he said.

Prince William has revealed what he says has been the hardest year of his life.

In a clip of the upcoming episode of Eugene Levy’s series The Reluctant Traveler, the Schitt’s Creek star sits down with the Prince of Wales, 43, to discuss some recent hardships.

“I’d say ‘23-’24 was the hardest year I’ve ever had,” Prince William said while sitting in a pub with Levy. “You know, life is sent to test us, and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are.”

During that time, medical worries swept through the royal family.

In January 2024, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, revealed she was in treatment for skin cancer months after undergoing a mastectomy for breast cancer.

Then, in February 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer.

And in March 2024, Prince William’s wife Kate Middleton shared with the public that she had been diagnosed with cancer after abdominal surgery in January led to subsequent tests. At the time, she noted that she was in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy.

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Kate, who had opted to share certain details of her cancer journey, announced in January 2025 that her cancer was in remission after undergoing chemotherapy.

Buckingham Palace has chosen not to share King Charles’s prognosis. A report, however, believes that King Charles’ cancer is manageable, but not curable.

“The talk now is that he may die ‘with’ cancer, but not ‘of’ cancer following a rigorous treatment program,” Camilla Tominey of the Daily Telegraph wrote in the report.

Queen Elizabeth II famously dubbed 1992 her “annus horribilis,” or horrible year, in a speech marking the 40th year of her reign.

That year saw the marriages of three of her four children—Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne—end in separation or divorce, a major fire in Windsor Castle that burned for 15 hours and destroyed many rooms, the leaking of private conversations including “Camillagate” and the publication of an unauthorized book about Princess Diana.

“1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure,” the queen said at the time.

William previously commented on Kate’s cancer journey, celebrating her 43rd birthday in January 2025 with a post detailing the work she’s done.

“To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W,” he wrote on X.

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He also told reporters in November 2024 that the past year had been a particularly hard time for the royal family, calling the era “dreadful.”

“Trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult,” he shared at the time.

“But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done,” he added. “But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”

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