In 2024, both King Charles and Kate Middleton were diagnosed with undisclosed forms of cancer, leading Prince William to describe the year as “brutal” for the family. As Kate took time away from the public eye, wild conspiracy theories spread across social media about her whereabouts.
In the documentary Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, palace press chief Jason Knauf recalled the emotional toll on William, describing it as the “lowest” he had ever seen him. “Within weeks, he found out both his wife and father had cancer. It was awful, absolutely awful,” Knauf shared.
Meanwhile, the book also revisited past controversies, including emails from 2018 in which Knauf raised concerns about Meghan Markle’s alleged bullying of staff, claiming she had driven two PAs out of the household.
A royal aide revealed that conspiracy theories about Kate Middleton’s health spread wildly online before her cancer diagnosis was made public. The delay in announcing her illness was due to the family needing time to inform their children.
In the same documentary, the aide recalled a near-mishap during Princess Charlotte’s birth announcement in 2015. He had received details about her birth but accidentally dropped the press release on the street. Miraculously, no media outlets found it, and the announcement proceeded as planned.
The documentary 60 Minutes: Where There’s A Will explores Prince William’s future as King, featuring insights from royal journalists and aides.
