Although Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly didn’t tell their firstborn about his future for many years so he could have a “normal” childhood, the parents-of-three aren’t that secretive about everything.
According to reports, the Prince and Princess of Wales have been very open with their children – Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 – about a lot of things. And the Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnosis was one of them!
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Prince William And Kate Middleton 'Communicate A Lot More' With Their Three Children
The future king and queen were reportedly very honest with their kids when the Princess of Wales was battling cancer, which she revealed she was in remission from in an emotional video in September 2024.
Prince William made the confession in an interview with Brazilian television host Luciano Huck during his trip to Brazil last week for the Earthshot Prize awards. Reflecting on family life, he acknowledged that every household has its own "challenges."
"I think it is very individual and sort of moment-dependent as to how you deal with those problems," Prince William said, adding that he and his wife "chose to communicate a lot more with our children."
Prince William Says 'Hiding Stuff' From Their Kids 'Doesn't Work'
"Now, that has its good things and its bad things. Sometimes you feel you're oversharing with the children you probably shouldn't," he admitted, before saying: "But most of the time, hiding stuff from them doesn't work."
Prince William explained that they try to talk openly about their feelings and share different perspectives so the children aren't "anxious" about unanswered questions. "There's a lot more questions when there's no answers," he said, before confirming that there is of course a fine line between openness and oversharing.
"But it is always a balancing act – every parent knows that," he continued. He went on to address the age-old problem, asking: "It's, 'How much do I say? What do I say? When do I say?' There's no manual for being a parent, you've just got to go with it – a bit of instinct," he concluded.
This echoes what the Princess of Wales said when she shared her cancer diagnosis with the world in March 2024. At the time, she revealed that she and Prince William took time to "explain everything" to their children before making the news public.
Prince William also reflected on their approach earlier this year in a candid conversation with Eugene Levy on The Reluctant Traveler. "Everyone has their own coping mechanisms for these sorts of things, and children are constantly learning and adapting," he said.
He explained: "We're a very open family, so we talk about things that bother us, and things that trouble us. But you never quite know the knock-on effects that it can have. So, it's just important to be there for each other and to kind of reassure the children that everything is okay."
