Inside Prince William’s ’emotional’ week after opening up like never before

Kate is undoubtedly the glue that holds their family together, and in an extraordinary interview, William has opened up about his pride in his wife as she returned to the public eye following treatment for cancer.

Sharing one of the most candid glimpses into their lives to date, the future King paid tribute to Kate’s resilience and her crucial role at the heart of their family.

“She’s an amazing mum and an amazing wife, and literally our family couldn’t cope without her, so she’s been absolutely stunning,” William revealed.

After a week that saw him enjoy wild celebrations as his football team, Aston Villa, won the Europa League final in Istanbul, the Prince showcased plenty of relatable personality traits on a two-day visit to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 

From joking about his croaky voice as a result of cheering too loudly to sharing deeply personal insights into day-to-day family life – all with a hefty dose of humour – William was authentically himself, in a way that resonated widely.

Royal couple

Just as his father won global acclaim for his warmth and humour on a state visit to the US last month, shortly before Kate won hearts in Italy, the future King appeared comfortable in his skin and more willing to share his private side than ever before.

A week after his wife’s hugely successful trip to Reggio Emilia – her first official overseas trip since 2022 – he said: “I’m very, very proud. She’s amazing. She’s been through so much in the past couple of years particularly, and she’s been looking forward to the Italian trip a lot, so I’m really glad that it went really well. 

“She wanted to do a lot of research; God knows how much time now, looking through all the paperwork. She’s a proper pro on early years, and most evenings I’m fighting to get past in the bedroom [with] all the paperwork she’s got lined up to read.

“So I’m so pleased that it went so well for her, and I think she came back buzzing.”

William also admitted that he had not realised that his wife spoke Italian, saying: “I didn’t know, actually. She must have dusted that off a while ago.” 

Showing his softer side, he explained his concern for Kate, who announced that she was in remission in January last year. William said that she was “edging herself back into doing more and more of these trips”, adding that “trips like that take a lot out of you because you’re on permanent receive-and-send the whole time, so we have to balance that and make sure she’s rested”. 

Radio appearance

William was appearing live on Heart FM last Friday from the Isles of Scilly, where he was carrying out engagements in his role as the Duke of Cornwall. 

After hosts Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston played a Raye hit that he requested, he joked: “Love a bit of Raye[’s] Where Is My Husband!, as my wife is constantly asking: ‘Where is my husband?’”

When asked if it was one of Kate’s choices, he replied: “She likes that song a lot, yes.”

Still buoyant two days after his whistlestop trip to Istanbul to watch his beloved Aston Villa in the Europa League final with a group of male friends, William was happy to chat about everything, from family life and football to music and parenting.

Prince William as a father

Revealing that he is “definitely not a morning person,” he gave a shout-out to his youngest children, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, saying: “Charlotte and Louis if you’re listening, make sure you’re on time please, make sure you’re not fighting over who listens to what this morning.”

He also revealed for the first time that Prince George sometimes boards at  Lambrook School – which offers flexible boarding – and had been boarding at school on Thursday nights. 

Asked if the school run was chaotic, he said: “It can be. It depends if there is a guitar lesson or a music lesson: you have to get the guitar in the car, no we aren’t taking the car, are we boarding, are we not, are we seeing friends or are we not… all of that going on in the morning.

“There’s a lot of jam sandwiches in the car. He’ll [Louis] leave jam fingerprints throughout the car which is really helpful.”

The Prince then chose the song Opalite by Taylor Swift for his children, saying: “Charlotte, my daughter – and Lou, to be fair… both, but Charlotte particularly – is obsessed with Taylor Swift. We went to see her on her Eras Tour and it was amazing.

“The atmosphere was so incredible, you could actually feel the floors shaking when they’re all dancing. So it was brilliant.”

When asked if he would be attending Taylor’s upcoming wedding to the NFL star Travis Kelce, William joked: “I am hoping and I am sure there might be an invitation around. But we’ll see.” 

UK travels

William had arrived in the Isles of Scilly the night before, after visiting housing projects being managed by his Duchy of Cornwall in Nansledan, Newquay, and had taken a dip in the sea after landing.

Joking about the chilly water, he said: “There’s a lot of screaming and a lot of, like, heavy breathing. So, I’m not pretending that I stay in there for very long, but I’m happy to go in for a bit.”

“I used to come here a lot when I was younger. My parents brought me down here and it is, as you can see, a place like no other. It’s kind of a different world down here, it’s beautiful.

“The children can go where they want here. It’s safe, they can go out and explore. The beaches are amazing; you can see the water is crystal clear. I mean, there is so much to do down here as a family. It’s fantastic!”

The Wales family have spent several holidays on the neighbouring island of Tresco, where they are left in peace to enjoy their downtime. “Island life down here is wonderfully family-orientated,” William said. “People just get on and do their thing and enjoy themselves, and no one wants to sort of be a pain, so everyone down here is great.”

The Prince, who inherited the title of the Duke of Cornwall when his father became King in 2022, has thrown himself into the running of the Duchy, but did show some allegiance to the neighbouring county of Devon during the chat.

Presented with scones, clotted cream and jam by Amanda Holden, William was asked in which order the toppings should be added.

Confirming that he would opt for Devon’s tradition of cream first, rather than Cornwall’s jam first, he said: “I can only tell you what I learned from my grandmother, and she would definitely have the cream on first. Cream on first, jam on top.”

Football fan

He was also asked about his lively celebrations following Aston Villa’s win earlier in the week, where he was seen on camera hugging friends and punching the air with delight. 

“I try and remind myself that I am a football fan, I’m just going there to enjoy myself, but then I see the following day and I realise, actually, a lot of people are watching you, stop doing that!” he said. “But I got really into the moment.”

William was on the island of St Mary’s, where he was visiting the Isles of Scilly Hospital to see a new extension supported by the Duchy, which will ensure residents can receive treatment there, including maternity care, instead of having to transfer to the mainland.

Recalling the case of a local woman who gave birth in a plane mid-air, he said: “The Search and Rescue guys, who I obviously used to fly with, I think down here is where they delivered a pregnancy through labour on an aircraft. It’s the only time it’s happened in the UK.”

The Prince, who is an experienced helicopter pilot, revealed he had flown himself in and out of the Isles in the past. 

Musical tastes

His final musical request was You Got the Love by The Source featuring Candi Staton, of which he said: “This is what I run to. This is the one that gives me motivation if I have a bad day. I whack it on.

“I love my music. Some people say I have a terrible taste in music. My friends, my family. I like to think my music is motivational. I like something with a lot of beat, rhythm, quite fast. I think it just gets you in a good mood, I literally feel energised by the music I listen to. I don’t listen to things that are really sad.

“I love dance music.” When asked if he went clubbing, he laughed and replied: “In my youth. Not any more!

“I love dance songs, I like motivational ones, I like things that give you real inspiration because I feel inspired after I listen to certain music.”

A clearly relaxed and energised William may have been on duty, but it was his openness about the ordinary parts of his life – school-run chaos, jam fingerprints in the car and his wife and children’s music picks – that offered the clearest picture yet of a future monarch determined to keep family at the heart of royal life.