Prince William Was ‘Floored’ After Kate’s Cancer Diagnosis, Felt Like He’d Been ‘Hit by a Bus’
Prince William has said that 2024 was one of the hardest years of his life. Back in 1997, the world mourned with him when he lost his mother following a car crash in Paris. Then, 27 years later, many wondered if the prince was going to lose his father or his wife.
In February 2024, King Charles announced that following a routine procedure for an enlarged prostate, tests concluded that the monarch had cancer and would need to undergo treatment. If that wasn’t bad enough, the following month, royal watchers everywhere were left in absolute shock when the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) revealed that she, too, had cancer and was receiving treatment.
The princess’s diagnosis was a shock to William as well, and now a new book is diving into just how that news affected the Prince of Wales.
In the book, titled William and Catherine, The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story, Russell Myers discusses how the prince was so taken aback but had to keep it together for their young family.
“Everyone knew it was a huge moment. The princess delivered her message with such grace, perfection, and empathy. It was incredibly emotional,” Myers wrote (per Hello!). “But to know both she and William had had to prepare themselves to tell their young children that Mummy was ill and would have to go back to hospital, but that she would be OK, was just extraordinary. Everything they live for is for those children; they are their absolute world. There were a lot of tears from everyone.”
Myers added that one of William’s close friends said the future king was so “floored” after learning that Kate had cancer that he felt like he’d been “hit by a bus,” writing, “William had been floored by the news, yet what shone through to those who know him best was his immense pride in his wife. A close friend spoke of the prince’s reaction: It was like being hit by a bus, sudden, brutal, and completely disorienting. One moment, life was normal, and the next, everything changed.
“He worships her, truly. She’s his world, and when the diagnosis came, it was as if the ground beneath him vanished. He talked about the rug being pulled, but it was more than that. It was heartbreak, fear, and helplessness all at once. Watching him go through it was deeply emotional. You could see it in his eyes; in the way he held himself. But through it all, his devotion to her never wavered. He’s been by her side every step, and the depth of his devotion is something that stays with you. It’s love in its rawest, most powerful form.”
Fast-forward two years, and while the king is undergoing treatment for cancer as of December 2025, it was announced that his treatment schedule will be reduced due to positive progress. In January 2025, Kate shared that she was in remission and eight months later, announced she was cancer-free.
