Prince William opens up about discussing cancer with his 3 children: 'Balancing act'
Prince William is opening up about talking to his three children about a "very tough" few years, including their mother Kate, the Princess of Wales', and grandfather King Charles III's cancer diagnoses.
In a new interview with Brazilian journalist Luciano Huck, the Prince of Wales said he decided it was best to be honest and open about "the hard questions" with his and Kate's three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
"We choose to communicate a lot more with our children ... sometimes, you feel like you're oversharing with your children and like you probably shouldn't, but most of the time, hiding stuff from them doesn't work," William said.
Buckingham Palace announced back in February 2024 that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer but did not disclose the type or stage and said he was receiving ongoing medical treatment.
The Princess of Wales, meanwhile, revealed her cancer diagnosis publicly in March 2024. This past January, she announced that she was in remission after undergoing chemotherapy.
The 43-year-old father also conceded that sometimes, there are more questions than answers when he and his kids discuss serious issues.
"But it is always a balancing act -- every parent knows that," he continued. "It's, 'How much do I say? What do I say? When do I say?' And there's no manual for being a parent, you've just got to go with it -- a bit of instinct."
William also revealed that his and Kate's rule preventing their children from having phones has become a "tense" issue.
"We communicate why we don't think it's right. And again, I think it's the internet access I have a problem with," William said. "I think children can access too much stuff they don't need to see online. So, having a phone and text message, the old sort of brick phone as they call them, I think that's fine."
The future British monarch gave a glimpse into his family life and said he and Kate try to be present as parents, even as they maintain their royal responsibilities.
"Play dates, taxi driver, sports days, matches, playing in the garden when I can," William said. "School run, most days. I mean, Catherine and I share it, but she probably does the bulk of it."
William spoke with Huck while in Brazil to mark the fifth anniversary of the Earthshot Prize, a global initiative he founded in 2020 to find solutions to the world's environmental problems, including climate change.
This year's Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony was held in Rio de Janeiro, ahead of the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as COP30, in Belém.
