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This year has been absolutely \u201cdreadful\u201d for Prince William<\/b><\/a>. In a new interview with Britain\u2019s <\/span>The Times<\/span><\/i>, released on November 10, the future king got uncharacteristically personal about both <\/span>Princess Kate Middleton<\/b><\/a> and <\/span>King Charles III<\/b> being <\/span>diagnosed with cancer in 2024<\/span><\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s probably been the hardest year in my life \u2026. Trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult,\u201d he confessed. \u201cI\u2019m so proud of my wife, I\u2019m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it\u2019s been brutal.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s been some good news in recent months: Kate completed chemotherapy in September, and Charles, though still undergoing treatment, was well enough to carry out an official royal tour of Australia and Samoa in October. As their family continues to navigate the unknown twists and turns of the pair\u2019s health crisis, William\u2019s looked to his children \u2014 Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte<\/a>, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 \u2014 when he needs inspiration to carry on. \u201cWilliam loves his sons. They give him so much joy. Charlotte lifts his spirits in a whole different way, though,\u201d a source exclusively tells Life & Style,<\/em> explaining that the daughter William sweetly calls \u201cMignonette\u201d \u2014 a French term of endearment that means little darling or cutie \u2014 has been an especially bright light during this challenging yea<\/a>r<\/a>. \u201cThey have a truly special bond that\u2019s only been strengthened by the royals\u2019 recent adversities.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Kate and William, both 42, have done a lot of reflecting on the \u201csimple yet important things in life,\u201dincluding just \u201csimply loving and being loved,\u201d she shared two months ago. That\u2019s meant prioritizing time with their kids amid her recovery. \u201cThe boys worship Kate \u2014 they\u2019re both mummy\u2019s boys \u2014 while Charlotte and William have this indescribable connection. She just has a way of putting a smile on his face,\u201d says the source, calling Charlotte \u201ca total daddy\u2019s girl.\u201d<\/p>\n And she knows it. \u201cKate gives William a hard time because he doesn\u2019t really see how Charlotte has him wrapped around her little finger,\u201d explains the source. \u201cHe just melts and will do whatever she wants.\u201d Case in point: Though William\u2019s been sporting a new look \u2014 scruffy facial hair \u2014 since August, he initially scrapped the beard after his mini-me made it clear she wasn\u2019t a fan of the change. \u201cCharlotte didn\u2019t like it the first time. I got floods of tears, so I had to shave it off,\u201d the Prince of Wales told reporters on November 7 while in Cape Town, South Africa, for his Earthshot Prize environmental awards. He later \u201cconvinced her it was going to be OK,\u201d he said, and \u201cI grew it back.\u201d<\/p>\n Like her mother, Charlotte has a deep love for sports. She enjoys rugby, soccer, gymnastics and tennis, her parents have confirmed, and takes after her \u201cvery competitive\u201d mom, Rugby Football Union president Nigel Gillingham said in 2023. Like her father \u2014 who \u201cmade peanut butter on toast\u201d for the Spice Girls when they visited his father\u2019s Highgrove estate for tea, Sporty Spice <\/span>Melanie Chisholm<\/b>, 50, once revealed<\/span><\/a> \u2014 Charlotte loves pop music. \u201cKate says William and Charlotte are two peas in a pod,\u201d reveals the source, noting how the prince and his little look-alike both sang and danced their hearts out at<\/span> Taylor Swift<\/b>\u2019s June 21 Eras Tour stop<\/span><\/a> in London. Three months later, William proudly showed off a \u201cPapa\u201d friendship bracelet Charlotte made him while in South Africa. \u201cHe gets into what she loves,\u201d says the source. \u201cHe\u2019s totally engaged in her world.\u201d<\/p>\nTHICK AS THIEVES<\/h2>\n
SHARED PASSIONS<\/h2>\n