Prince William has made a rare and emotional admission about his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, while reflecting on what he called the “hardest year of his life”.
The 43-year-old Prince of Wales appeared in a teaser for the new season of Hollywood star Eugene Levy’s reality series The Reluctant Traveller, in which he gives the comedian a private tour of Windsor Castle alongside the Waleses’ family dog, Orla.
When Levy asked if he missed his grandmother, who died in September 2022, William replied: “I do actually, yeah, I do miss my grandmother, and my grandfather. It’s been quite a change, so you do sort of think about them not being here anymore.”
The father of three said he feels especially close to the Queen whenever he visits Windsor.
“She loved it here. She spent most of her time here,” William said.
“Showing you around today is very much a case of, I’m trying to make sure I’m doing it the way she’d want you to see it. She had her horses here as well, which you can imagine was a big deal for her.”
In a more sombre moment, William opened up about the family’s challenges across 2024, which included both King Charles III and Princess Catherine receiving cancer diagnoses.
Catherine, 43, is now in remission from an undisclosed form of cancer that was discovered in January 2024.
The 76-year-old monarch, however, continues to undergo treatment for his illness, diagnosed only a month later.
The family also faced the fallout from Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, which laid bare personal details and criticisms of the royal institution.
“I’d say 2024 was the hardest year I’ve ever had,” William told Levy.
“You know, life is sent to test us as well, and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are.”
Lightening the tone, Levy asked the future king what he liked to do away from official duties.
“Sleep,” William replied with a laugh.
“When you’ve got three small children, sleep is an important part of your life.”
The pair later shared a pint at a local pub, and afterwards William quipped: “Was getting drunk with Prince William on your bucket list?”
“That’s the bucket,” Levy replied.
Speaking to Sky News Australia host Rita Panahi on Tuesday, royal commentator Kinsey Schofield described the appearance as a “great moment” for the heir to the throne.
“Is this not the antithesis of Prince Harry?” she said.
“William has shown us that he’s not a perpetual victim; he seems grateful to have made it through this experience, and that courage and strength are exactly what resonate with people.
“So I really thought that this was a beautiful moment, a great moment for him. And while I’m sad to hear that last year was such a horrific experience, it’s so refreshing to hear someone say, ‘But I lived through it, onward and upward’.”