Former Royal Aide Reveals Prince William's Struggle During Family Health Crisis

Prince William experienced his "lowest point" when the Princess of Wales was diagnosed with cancer last year, according to a former senior royal adviser who worked closely with the couple.

Jason Knauf, who served as chief executive of William and Kate's Royal Foundation until late 2021, shared insights about the prince's difficult period during a recent interview with 60 Minutes Australia.

"Within a couple of weeks, if you're Prince William, you find out that both your wife and your father have cancer. I couldn't believe it," Knauf revealed. "It was awful, absolutely awful. It's the lowest I've ever seen him."

The 43-year-old former aide explained how the situation was further complicated by online speculation about Catherine's health before her diagnosis became public knowledge in March 2023.

"The problem was that all this crazy conspiracy theory stuff kicked off in the background, online. 'Was she really ill?'" Knauf said. "But they didn't want to say yet that she had cancer because they hadn't told the children and they were still working through how to tell the children."

William himself has spoken about the challenges of the past year. During a visit to South Africa, the 42-year-old prince described it as "the hardest year" of his life, saying: "It's been dreadful. Trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult."

Both the King and the Princess of Wales underwent cancer treatment in 2023. While Catherine is now in remission, Charles continues to receive ongoing treatment.

Knauf, who received a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in the 2023 New Year Honours List, also addressed the strained relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry. Having previously worked for both the Waleses and the Sussexes, he offered a measured response about the brothers' public rift.

"It's very difficult to have this stuff play out in the public eye, but he's chosen to keep his thoughts on it private, and I think all of us who know him really have to respect that we should do the same," Knauf stated. "But I will say, of course, it's been hard and sad, especially for all of us who know both of them. I worked really closely with the two of them and we had lots of great times."

Knauf's history with the royal family has not been without controversy. In October 2018, while working as communications secretary for Harry and Meghan, he made a bullying complaint against the Duchess of Sussex – allegations her legal team strongly denied. He later expressed regret for not providing evidence in Meghan's successful privacy case against Associated Newspapers Limited regarding the publication of her letter to her father.

Before joining the royal household, the American-born Knauf worked for various institutions including the office of New Zealand's prime minister, HM Treasury, and the Royal Bank of Scotland. During his tenure with the Royal Foundation, he oversaw the launch of William's Earthshot Prize, the £50 million environmental initiative that has since become an independent charity dedicated to recognizing solutions to repair the planet.

Recent photos show the Princess of Wales resuming public duties, including attending Christmas services with Prince William and their children at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were spotted at the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver earlier this month.