Royal assistant shares how Prince William responded to Kate’s cancer diagnosis
A former aide to the Prince of Wales said William was at his ‘lowest point’ after the Princess of Wales was diagnosed with cancer almost a year ago.
Jason Knauf was formerly chief executive of William and Kate’s Royal Foundation, stepping down at the end of 2021, but had worked with the couple for years.
Both the King and the Princess of Wales were given shock cancer diagnoses last year. Kate is now in remission and Charles is having ongoing treatment.
In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Mr Knauf said: ‘Within a couple of weeks, if you’re Prince William, you find out that both your wife and your father have cancer. I couldn’t believe it.’
Mr Knauf called William about Kate’s diagnosis and said it was ‘awful’, adding: ‘It’s the lowest I’ve ever seen him.
‘But the problem was that all this crazy conspiracy theory stuff kicked off in the background, online. ‘Was she really ill?’. But they didn’t want to say yet that she had cancer because they hadn’t told the children and they were still working through how to tell the children.’
The Princess of Wales took a break from public duties while receiving treatment (Picture: PA)
Jason Knauf gave the candid interview to 60 Minutes Australia (Picture: 60 Minutes Australia)
Mr Knauf has worked closely with the couple (Picture: Getty)
The Royal family have kept in good spirits even after both Kate and King Charles were given cancer diagnoses.
In December, the King even joked he was ‘still alive’ as he prepared to continue his treatment in the New Year.
Mr Knauf said he and William chatted often about ‘how he and the princess were going to prepare their children for life in the public eye’, as Prince William often worried for his children after having grown up in the media.
Discussing William’s relationship with Harry, Mr Knauf said: ‘It’s very difficult to have this stuff play out in the public eye, but he’s chosen to keep his thoughts on it private, and I think all of us who know him really have to respect that we should do the same.
‘But I will say, of course, it’s been hard and sad, especially for all of us who know both of them.’
Mr Knauf was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in the 2023 New Year Honours List.
He also helped to launch the Foundation’s Earthshot Prize – William’s £50 million environmental prize, now an independent charity.
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