Prince William Asked to Step Back From Royal Duties Amid Cancer Diagnoses

Royal expert Robert Jobson is pulling back the curtain on what he says was Prince William’s reaction to his wife Kate Middleton and father King Charles’ cancer diagnoses.

In his latest book The Windsor Legacy, the author claims William, 43, asked to temporarily step back from his royal duties in 2024 after both his wife and father were diagnosed with undisclosed types of cancer, according to an excerpt obtained by Page Six on Saturday, November 8.

King Charles, who was diagnosed in February 2024, denied that request, according to Jobson.

Jobson also writes that both William and the Princess of Wales “became more religious” following her own diagnosis in March 2024.

“Never known as a regular worshipper, William now attends church more frequently than in the past, though as privately as possible,” Jobson writes in the book, out January 6, 2026.

Us Weekly has reached out to Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace for comment.

William recently offered an update on his wife’s health during an October episode of Eugene Levy’s Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler.

“Yes, things are good,” the royal told the actor and host, noting that Kate, 43, is currently in remission. “Everything is progressing in the right way, which is all good news.”

He continued, “We’ve been very lucky; we haven’t had many illnesses in the family for a very long time. My grandparents lived until they were in their high 90s. So, they were the vision of fitness, and stoicism and resilience, if you like.”

While the Prince of Wales acknowledged his family’s luck, he went on to describe what happens when someone close to you — let alone two people — are diagnosed with a serious and potentially life-threatening illness.

“So, we’ve been very lucky as a family. But I think when you suddenly realize that the rug, the metaphorical rug, can be pulled from under your feet quite quick at any point,” he explained. “You maybe think to yourself, ‘It won’t happen to us, we’ll be okay’ — because I think everyone has a positive outlook. You’ve got to be positive. But when it does happen to you, then yeah, it takes you into some pretty not great places.”

Ultimately, the Prince of Wales added, he’s enormously proud of how both his father and his wife have navigated their individual health battles, especially with the eyes of the world on them.

“You know life is sent to test us as well, and it definitely can be challenging at times, and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are,” William said. “You know, I’m so proud of my wife and my father for how they’ve handled all of last year. My children have managed brilliantly as well.”

William and Kate share three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. While speaking about Kate’s diagnoses, the father of three shared how the parents navigated the difficult moment alongside their children.

“We try to make sure we give them the security and the safety that they need,” he said. “And 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. And so, it’s just important to be there for each other and to kind of reassure the children that everything is okay.”