Prince William realised the "rug can be pulled from under your feet" at "any point" after his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis

William said about his loved ones: "We've been very lucky; we hadn't had many illnesses in the family for a very long time. My grandparents lived until they were in the high 90s.

"They were the vision of fitness, and stoicism, and resilience, if you like. So we've been very lucky as a family. But I think, when you suddenly realize that the rug, if you were, the metaphorical rug, can be pulled from under your feet quite quick at any point.

"You maybe think to yourself, 'It won't happen to us, we'll be OK'.

"Because I think everyone has a positive outlook, you've got to be positive. But when it does happen to you, then it takes you into some pretty not great places.'

His remarks come after the Princess of Wales, also 43, revealed in March 2024 she was undergoing treatment for cancer.

She maintained a low public profile during chemotherapy before announcing in September she was cancer-free.

In a statement at the time she said: "As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment. The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown."

Earlier this year, she described remission as "a relief," adding: "As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal. I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support."

Catherine has since spoken about the challenges of recovery, telling patients at Colchester Hospital: "You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment's done, then it's like, 'I can crack on, get back to normal', but actually, the phase afterward is really, really difficult. You're not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you're not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to.

"And actually, someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment, I think is really valuable."

The period also coincided with King Charles, 76, disclosing his own cancer diagnosis in February 2024.