Prince William made headlines in the British press last week. She took advantage of her historic trip to Brazil to attend COP30 to visit regions of the country and follow in the footsteps of her mother, Princess Diana of Wales. Like his father, King Charles III, it is well known how involved the heir to the throne is in environmental issues, and he has been tasked with proving it all week. But in addition to talking about the future of the planet, there was also time to talk about his family life.
It is not usual for the Prince of Wales to grant these types of personal interviews, but it seems that in recent months he has wanted to be closer to the press. This Sunday it was broadcast on the program Sunday with Huckon the Brazilian network TV Globo, a conversation with journalist Luciano Huck in which Guillermo from England spoke, among other topics, about how they handled Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis, which she announced last January that she was already in remission.
“All families go through difficult times and face challenges together. How these moments are handled makes a difference. We decided to tell our children everything, both the good news and the bad news. We explained to them why certain things happen and why they might feel sad. Hiding things from them doesn’t work,” she explained in the interview about her three children: Jorge, 12; Carlotta, 10 years old; and Luis, 7 years old. She continues: “How you deal with these issues is something very individual and depends on the moment. This has its advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes you feel like you’re sharing too much with children, things you probably shouldn’t. There can be a lot of unanswered questions; I think all parents go through this. There is no manual for parenting and we choose to talk about everything.”
In March 2024, in the face of constant rumors and speculation about what was happening to the Princess of Wales after weeks of absence after undergoing abdominal surgery, it was she herself who, through a video published on her social networks, announced her cancer diagnosis. From that point on, William of England decided to take a step back from his official agenda to be with his family. A few months later, in September, he announced that he had finished his cancer treatment. And in January he announced that the disease was in remission. A year that the heir to the throne defined as “the most difficult” of his life, taking into account that his wife’s illness coincided with the cancer diagnosed in his father.
In the aforementioned interview on Brazilian television, the monarch’s eldest son also wanted to offer a rare perspective on his approach to parenting. Little is known about what happens behind the walls of the house, but he said the couple shares all kinds of responsibilities: “Date, being a taxi driver, sports days, games, playing in the garden when I can… I take the kids to school almost every day. We share it, but she probably does most of the work.” He also confirmed that none of his three children have a mobile phone yet, although he is aware that this could change in the coming months: “When Jorge goes to secondary school he may have limited access to the Internet. We talked to him and explained to him why we don’t think it’s right. With full access, children end up seeing things on the Internet that they shouldn’t. But with limited access I think it’s useful for messaging.”
At a certain point in the interview, the journalist showed him an image of Diana of Wales’ visit to Brazil in 1991. Precisely on that trip was one of the most memorable images of the man known as The people’s princess: She cradled a child with HIV, an image that helped break the taboos surrounding the disease at the time. “I carry his social and humanitarian legacy with me every day,” the prince responded.
The last two years have not been easy for the British royal family. Kate Middleton and King Charles III were diagnosed with cancer first. When it seemed that the waters were returning to their channel and that normality was returning, controversy erupted again around the now ex-Prince Andrew and his involvement with the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Given all the information revealed, the monarch has decided to sever all relationships, withdraw both his titles and send him to a new home in Sandringham. The Princes of Wales have remained aloof from this whole situation, although the British media claimed that they were consulted by the king before making any decisions.
A decision that came just as the couple was finalizing preparations for the move to Forest Lodge, their new home also in the Windsor grounds and where they would settle permanently on 31 October. Guillermo’s journey from England to Brazil coincided with the family’s first days in what they hope will be their permanent place of residence.
