Prince William has shared how he maintained open communication with his children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — during Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis, explaining the heartfelt reason behind his approach.
Last year, the Princess of Wales revealed that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for an undisclosed form of cancer. Earlier this year, she brought relief to the public by announcing that she is now in remission.
William on Handling Kate’s Diagnosis
In a recent interview in Brazil, where he attended the Earthshot Prize Awards on November 5, Prince William reflected on how his family navigated the challenging period. Speaking with Brazilian TV host Luciano Huck, he was asked how the past two years have affected his family — particularly how he and Kate helped their three children, George (12), Charlotte (10), and Louis (7), cope with everything.
Both William’s father, King Charles, and his wife, Princess Kate, have faced cancer diagnoses in recent years. While the King continues his treatment, Kate’s health has fortunately improved.
“I think every family has its own difficulties and its own challenges,” William said. “I think it’s very individual and moment dependent. It’s how you deal with those problems.”
“We Choose to Communicate More With Our Children”
Discussing his parenting philosophy, the Prince of Wales explained that open communication has been key for their family.
“We choose to communicate a lot more with our children,” he shared. “Now that has its good things and its bad things. Sometimes, you feel you’re oversharing with the children and you probably shouldn’t. But most of the time, hiding stuff from them doesn’t work.”
He went on to say: “So, explaining how they feel, why that’s happening, giving them other viewpoints as to why they’re feeling like they are — it’s a balancing act. There’s no manual to being a parent.”
A Glimpse Into Everyday Family Life
Prince William also offered a lighthearted look at his daily life as a dad.
“I’m the taxi driver, Luciano,” he joked. “Playdates, taxi driver, sports days, matches, play in the garden when I can.”
When asked if he does the school run, William replied: “Oh yeah, school run most days. I mean, Catherine and I share it. She probably does the bulk of it but I do a lot of the week.”
The Royal Family’s Rule on Phones
William also revealed one rule he and Kate are particularly firm about — limiting their children’s access to phones and the internet.
“Our children don’t have phones,” he said. “I think when George moves on to secondary school then maybe he might have a phone that has no internet access. He’s 12 and, to be honest, it’s getting to the point where it’s becoming a potential issue. But I think he understands why.”
“I think it’s the internet access I have a problem with,” he added. “Children can access too much stuff they don’t need to see online.”
