Prince William recently gave a speech on the final day of his four-day trip to South Africa , where the annual Earthshot Awards, which he founded in 2020, are being held to honor ambitious solutions to combat climate change.
Prince William is welcomed as he visits Kalk Bay harbour in Cape Town
PHOTO: THE NEW YORK TIMES
Here, besides raising awareness about environmental pollution warnings, when asked about his own feelings over the past years because both his wife and father had cancer, he said: “It’s been terrible. This has probably been the most difficult year of my life. So I’ve tried to overcome and keep things on track but it’s not easy. I’m proud of them for not giving up. But on a personal level, it’s been especially devastating for me.”
Accordingly, in early February this year, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles was diagnosed with cancer after being on the throne for less than 18 months. Then, in March, news came that Princess Catherine was also diagnosed with the same disease after a surgery…
In both cases, the British royal family did not specify the type of cancer and asked the media to respect their wishes for privacy.
Prince William’s response was somewhat reminiscent of a phrase used by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II , when she described 1992 as an “annus horribilis” or “particularly devastating year” after her three children suffered marital difficulties and a fire severely damaged Windsor Castle.
However, there has been some positive news for the royal family recently. In April, King Charles announced that he would be returning to work, and Princess Catherine has been gradually recovering enough to be able to appear in public again on important occasions. She recently announced in September that she had completed chemotherapy and was doing everything she could to keep the disease from progressing.
At the awards ceremony, Prince William also shared with broadcasters that Princess Catherine was “really well” and that it had been an emotional year.