The Duchess of Cambridge was subject to ‘crazy’ conspiracy theories about her health following the release of an edited photo
A former Royal aide has recounted how Prince William faced one of his toughest periods last year, following grim health news concerning both Princess Kate and King Charles.
Jason Knauf, once part of the Waleses’ staff, opened up about a particularly challenging time for William.
Delving into the details during an episode of 60 Minutes Australia that aired today, he said: “Within a couple of weeks if you’re Prince William, you find out that both your wife and your father have cancer.”
He added: “I couldn’t believe it. It was awful, absolutely awful. It’s the lowest I’ve ever seen him.”
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The Duchess of Cambridge disclosed her diagnosis with a heartfelt video via Kensington Palace in March 2024, shortly after King Charles had been treated for a benign prostate enlargement and revealed his own battle with the illness in February.
Knauf also touched upon the additional strain caused by “crazy” conspiracy theories circulating about the Princess’ absence from public engagements.
Kate was reportedly recuperating following a hospital stay in January and had been out of the public eye since the previous Christmas.
The situation escalated when an official photograph of the Royal with her children was withdrawn by agencies such as Reuters, Getty, and Associated Press amid allegations of excessive editing—a claim later confirmed by the Palace, with Kate taking responsibility.
This sparked online speculation about her actual health status. Mr Knauff, who served William and Kate until 2021, disclosed at the time “they hadn’t told the children and they were still working through how to tell the children”.
He emphasised that the couple prioritised their children’s welfare during Kate’s health issues, stating they were adamant “they had to be parents first” in their planning for the year.
In recognition of his services to the monarchy, Mr Knauf was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in the New Year’s Honours list of 2023.