Prince William and Kate Middleton ensure that their children are not left in the dark, even when the truth weighs heavily. Over a year after the Princess of Wales opened up about her cancer diagnosis, her husband shared how the couple approached discussing the topic with their kids - Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 - noting that they "chose to communicate a lot more" with them. "Now, that has its good things and its bad things," William admitted during an interview with Brazilian TV host Luciano Huck, shared on Instagram on November 9. "Sometimes you feel like you're oversharing with the children you probably shouldn't."
Despite this, the royal admitted that when it comes to their kids, "most of the time, hiding stuff from them doesn't work." The pros of being open with their kids when it comes to life's misfortunes helped keep them from getting "anxious" about the unknown. "There's a lot more questions when there's no answers," William explained. "But it is always a balancing act - every parent knows that. It's, 'How much do I say? What do I say? When do I say?' There's no manual for being a parent, you just have to go with it - a bit of instinct."
For her part, Kate - who shared her cancer diagnosis in March 2024 - had previously alluded to her and William attempting to keep her diagnosis under wraps for the early months of 2024 to protect their children. "William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family," Kate shared in her video statement last March. "It has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be okay."
While Kate and William, both 43, were up front with their kids about her cancer journey, the princess also ensured her kids understood what it would take for her to heal. As she put it, "I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body, and spirit."
