Prince William Admits 2024 Was ‘Hardest Year’ in Rare TV Appearance

Prince William is opening up about one of the most difficult years his family has faced.

The Prince of Wales, 43, appears in an upcoming special episode of Eugene Levy’s Apple TV+ series, The Reluctant Traveler, titled “Living the Royal Life in the UK.” 

In a new clip from the episode, the Schitt’s Creek star, 78, is seen arriving in the U.K., touring London on a double-decker bus and declaring, “Never felt more like a tourist.” 

But unlike regular tourists, Levy receives a royal summons from Prince William himself to visit him at the nearby Windsor Castle. 

“We provide this service for everyone,” William jokes as he leads Levy around the castle. “We do personalized tours everywhere.”

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The pair stroll around the grounds with William and his wife Kate Middleton’s black cocker spaniel, Orla, as Levy asks the next in line to the throne what he does at home in his free time. 

“Sleep. When you have three small children, sleep is an important part of my life,” William quips in response. 

William shares son Prince George, 12, daughter Princess Charlotte, 10, and son Prince Louis, 7, with Princess Kate.

In one scene, William and Levy sit down for a pint at a local pub where William gets candid about the struggles of recent years, which has seen both his wife and father, King Charles, diagnosed with cancer.

“I’d say ‘23-’24 was the hardest year I’ve ever had,” the senior royal admits. “You know, life is sent to test us and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are.” 

In March 2024, Kate went public with her cancer diagnosis. In January 2025, after going through chemotherapy treatment, the Princess of Wales announced that her cancer was in remission. 

She has since returned to many of her royal duties. In July, she opened up about her life after completing her treatment. 

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“It’s not one smooth plane, which you expect it to be. But the reality is it’s not. You go through hard times,” she said during an appearance at an Essex hospital, per the BBC. 

In November 2024, William shed even more light on the difficult chapter for the royal family, saying in a candid interview while in South Africa for his Earthshot Prize: “It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.

“But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done,” he added. “But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”

The Reluctant Traveler’s royal episode will drop on Apple TV+ on Friday, Oct. 3. New episodes will be released weekly until Oct. 31.