Britain's Prince William: It's been the hardest year of my life

LONDON, - Prince William said the past year had probably been the "hardest" of his life after a difficult period for Britain's royal family in which both his father King Charles and wife Kate were diagnosed with cancer.

Speaking to British media at the end of a visit to South Africa, the heir to the throne reflected on how he was coping while balancing his duties as a royal with family time, the BBC and other publications reported on Thursday.

Asked how his year has been, William said: "Honestly? It's been dreadful. It's probably been the hardest year in my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult."

Charles is undergoing treatment for cancer which was diagnosed in February, although he recently travelled to Australia and Samoa.

Kate, 42, underwent preventative chemotherapy for cancer this year, and she has previously described an "incredibly tough" year for the family.

"I'm so proud of my wife, I'm proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done," William said. "But from a personal family point of view, it's been brutal."

William hosted the annual awards ceremony for his multi-million-dollar Earthshot Prize in South Africa, making the trip without Kate who is still recovering from her treatment. He said on Wednesday she was doing "really well".

Asked about his role as Prince of Wales, William said: "It’s very important with my role and my platform that I'm doing something for good. That I'm helping people's lives and I'm doing something that is genuinely meaningful.

"I enjoy my work and I enjoy pacing myself and keeping sure that I have got time for my family too."

The prince, who has been sporting a beard since the summer, said his nine-year-old daughter hadn't been a fan.

"Well Charlotte didn't like it the first time," he said. "I got floods of tears, so I had to shave it off. And then I grew it back. I thought, hang on a second, and I convinced her it was going to be okay."

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