Prince William and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales discussed “everything” with their children after she was diagnosed with cancer.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are open with their children
The 43-year-old royal faced a devastating 2024 when both his spouse and his father King Charles were treated for undisclosed forms of the disease, and he has told how he and Catherine were keen to answer any “difficult questions” they were posed by Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and seven-year-old Prince Louis.
Appearing on Brazil’s Domingão com Huck on Sunday (09.11.25), he said: “Every family goes through difficult times and faces challenges together. How you discount with those moments makes all the difference.
“We decided to tell our children everything, both the good news and the bad. We explain to them why certain things happen and why they might feel upset.
“Children understand far more than we sometimes give them credit for.
“Sometimes they ask tough questions, and we don’t always have the answers. But we have decided to talk about everything openly. That honesty keeps us united.
“Many questions might come up without answers – I think all parents go through that. There’s no rulebook for being a parent, and we chose to talk about everything.”
The prince joked he is a “taxi driver” to his children and he and Catherine try to be as hands-on as possible.
He said: “Play dates, taxi driver, sports days, matches, playing in the garden when I can.
“School run most days. I mean Catherine and I share it, but she probably does the bulk of it.”
The royal couple have chosen not to give their kids mobile phones and plan to take a cautious approach as they get older because they don’t want them exposed to danger online.
William said: “It is really hard. Our children don’t have phones.
“When George moves on to secondary school, maybe he’ll have one with exclusive access.
“We talk to him and explain 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 restricted access, I think it’s good for messaging.”
William praised the humanitarian work of his late mother, Princess Diana, and admitted he carries her legacy “every day”.
Shown a photo taken during Diana’s visit to Brazil in 1991, in which she cradled an HIV-positive child, he said: “I carry her social and humanitarian legacy with me every day.”
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