A former royal aide is reminiscing about an excruciating period when Prince William was hit with the devastating news of Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis, closely following his father, King Charles', own diagnosis. Jason Knauf, who served as an assistant to the Prince and Princess of Wales until 2021, appeared on 60 Minutes Australia on Sunday, February 23rd, where he elaborated on Prince William's emotions after receiving both diagnoses within a span of mere weeks.
"Imagine being Prince William, discovering that both your wife and your father have been stricken with cancer," Knauf said in a clip shared on YouTube. "It was—I mean, I was utterly incredulous."
Princess Kate, aged 43, first disclosed her cancer treatment in March 2024. A few months later, in September, she announced the completion of her chemotherapy. By January 2025, Kate revealed she was in remission and was focused on her recovery. King Charles' cancer diagnosis was announced a month prior to his daughter-in-law's, in February 2024.
As for the harrowing phone conversation between Knauf and the 42-year-old Prince of Wales regarding his wife's diagnosis, he recounted the moment to 60 Minutes Australia. "It was absolutely heart-wrenching. I had never seen him so low," Knauf revealed in the clip.
"Moreover, the challenge was exacerbated by the backdrop of wild conspiracy theories swirling online—'Was she really ill?' But they hadn't yet disclosed her cancer to their children and were still grappling with how to break the news to them," he continued.
Elsewhere during Knauf's interview, he shared that in the early years, he and the Prince of Wales discussed "most frequently" how he and the princess would prepare their children for life in the public eye. "His childhood under the media spotlight was often challenging, and he was aware that he would be raising his kids to cope with social media, mobile phones, and all that entails," Knauf said.
"I definitely witnessed the anxious parents behind the scenes, though much less so in recent years, which has been wonderful for their family," he added.
Angela Terry, who met Princess Kate during an unannounced visit to The Royal Marsden Hospital in London last month, told PEOPLE that the royal, while there, spoke candidly about the "shock" of a cancer diagnosis on a family and was "remarkably open" during her hospital visit—where she had previously undergone treatment.
"I overheard her conversing with someone about the shock of diagnosis, and she said, 'Yes! The shock—and it's not just you, it's the entire family, isn't it?'" Terry, 71, recounted of the visit. "They were having this delightful, engaging chat. Imagine sitting at the kitchen table, sharing a mug of coffee. She's someone I'd love to do that with."
"She embodied the 'We're in this together' attitude, so people felt comfortable sharing all sorts of things. It was truly heartwarming to witness," Terry added.
In September, Princess Kate, mother to Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, echoed a similar sentiment in a video message about completing her chemotherapy. At the time, she described the nine-month journey as "incredibly challenging for us as a family" and noted that life "can change in an instant."
"We had to find our way through tumultuous waters and an uncharted path," she added. "The cancer journey is intricate, terrifying, and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you."
