How Prince William and Princess Kate told George, Charlotte and Louis about her cancer diagnosis

A new royal book reveals how Prince William and Princess Kate made their three children their top priority as they faced her cancer diagnosis in 2024.

New details about how the Prince and Princess of Wales handled the deeply personal moment are exposed in William and Catherine: The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story by Russell Myers, which is set for release in March.

The diagnosis came just weeks after King Charles publicly announced his own cancer battle. But despite the shock, William and Kate focused squarely on supporting their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.

According to an excerpt published by The Mirror, a close aide said the couple “both very calmly told the children what was going on and how long Catherine would need to be away for, but explained other than that everything would continue as normal and when she came home, she would need to rest up for a bit.”

While Kate was in hospital, according to the book, she stayed connected through video calls, listening to updates about school and asking whether “Papa” had been cooking in her absence.

William took on school drop-offs, while Kate’s parents and siblings visited frequently. Playdates were organised and the children spent weekends with their grandparents, Michael and Carole Middleton, at their Berkshire home.

“They were both very conscious of protecting [the kids] as much as possible,” a friend said.

“Catherine’s admiration for the way in which William took on all of that, keeping the children entertained and occupied, being constantly sanguine even when he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, allowing her to concentrate on her treatment and recovery, is something she will be eternally grateful for.”

Another friend said Kate endured “a pretty gruelling time” during treatment, but added that “her focus was always on her children … [and] being as positive and optimistic as possible was all for them.”

For William, George, Charlotte and Louis were described by an aide as “the calmness in the storm.” However, when he was away from them, he was said to be “incredibly pensive” about Kate’s condition.

“His father’s illness brought into focus just how quickly his life, and that of his family, as well as the whole landscape of the institution, could change very quickly,” the aide explained.

A close friend described the diagnosis as “like being hit by a bus — sudden, brutal and completely disorienting” for William.

“One moment life was normal, and the next, everything changed. He worships [Kate], truly. She’s his world, and when the diagnosis came, it was as if the ground beneath him vanished,” the friend said.

“He talked about the rug being pulled, but it was more than that, it was heartbreak, fear and helplessness all at once.”

Princess Kate first underwent planned abdominal surgery in January 2024. At the time, it was believed the issue was non-cancerous, but two months later she confirmed that tests had found cancer and that chemotherapy had been recommended.

In a video message shared publicly, she said: “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. 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 for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be okay.”

She later said she chose to speak publicly after seeing the response to King Charles’ announcement, hoping her openness might help others in similar circumstances.

In September 2024, Princess Kate confirmed she had completed chemotherapy. In early 2025, she revealed she was in remission and thanked the team at The Royal Marsden for their care.

“I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year,” she said in a social media message in January 2025.

“My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything. We couldn’t have asked for more.”