William opens up to Brazilian TV about how he and Kate had to answer the ‘difficult questions’ from their children over her cancer battle… and when Prince George will be allowed a mobile phone

Prince William has spoken openly about Kate’s cancer battle and the challenges of parenting –  admitting that he and the Princess of Wales have faced some ‘difficult questions’ from their children as the family navigates a tough year.

In a candid interview with Brazilian TV host Luciano Huck, the Prince of Wales revealed that they have been completely honest with George, 12, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, seven, about the health struggles affecting both their mother and grandfather King Charles.

The royal said: ‘Every family goes through difficult times and faces challenges together. How you deal with those moments makes all the difference.

‘We decided to tell our children everything, both the good news and the bad. We explain to them why certain things happen and why they might feel upset.

‘Many questions might come up without answers – I think all parents go through that. There’s no rulebook for being a parent, and we chose to talk about everything.’

William went on to give a glimpse of family life behind palace walls, describing how he and Kate share the school run and try to be present for their children as much as possible.

‘Play dates, taxi driver, sports days, matches, playing in the garden when I can,’ he said. ‘School run most days, I mean Katherine and I share it, but she probably does the bulk of it.’

The royal father also revealed the couple’s cautious approach to technology, confirming that none of the children have mobile phones yet.

‘It is really hard. Our children don’t have phones,’ he explained. ‘When George moves onto secondary school, maybe he’ll have one with limited access.

‘We talk to him and explain why we don’t think it’s right. With full access, children end up seeing things on the internet that they shouldn’t. But with restricted access, I think it’s good for messaging.’

During the interview, filmed in Rio de Janeiro for Huck’s popular Domingão show, the presenter warmly welcomed William on behalf of Brazilians and presented him with a touching photograph of his late mother, Princess Diana, taken during her 1991 visit to São Paulo.

The image showed Diana cradling a child with HIV, a gesture that helped break taboos around the illness at the time.

‘She became a very important figure in the fight against prejudice,’ Huck said, to which William replied: ‘I carry her social and humanitarian legacy with me every day.’

William was in Brazil for his environmental initiative, The Earthshot Prize, before he will represent King Charles at the COP30 climate summit in Belém starting today. 

Speaking about the country’s role in protecting the planet, he praised its leadership, saying: ‘You have the Amazon, the care for the climate and for nature. Brazil occupies a leadership position in everything I believe in.’

At the World Leaders Summit in a landmark address William spoke from the heart about his determination to continue his father’s work on green issues and take them forwards.

He said: ‘We come together today here in the heart of the Amazon … at a pivotal moment in human history.

‘A moment that demands courage, cooperation and unwavering commitment to our planet’s future. A future that belongs not to us, but to our children and grandchildren.

‘All of us here today understand that we are edging dangerously close to the earth’s critical tipping points…thresholds beyond which the natural systems we depend on may begin to unravel.

‘The melting of polar ice, the loss of the Amazon, the disruption of ocean currents… these are not distant threats. They are fast-approaching and will affect every one of us, no matter where we live.’

The future King has had a testing week and he had to bat away questions from veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour on his uncle Andrew and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a ‘fireside’ chat with CNN.

Ms Amanpour pointed to William’s recent Apple TV interview with Eugene Levy and asked if could expand on his comments ‘given there has been a lot of change in your family recently’.

However, William batted away the apparent nod to the decision to strip Andrew of all his titles and home, as well as the rift with Harry and Meghan over Megxit.

Without hesitation he decided instead to focus on Earthshot and praised ‘the brilliant people in this room’, calling them ‘action heroes’ and declaring: ‘Change will come from backing them not by what I do.’

But to cheers from the audience he did add: ‘I want to surround myself with people who want to make change and do good in the world.’

Royal watchers have praised his decision to stay quiet. ‘Unlike Harry, William doesn’t air the family laundry in public,’ one said.

William was speaking as he prepared for Earthshot’s awards ceremony, where stars including Shawn Mendes and Kylie Minogue turned out to support him.

During his ‘fireside chat’ with the event’s anchor, Ms Amanpour, William spoke of being positive for his own children and young people around the world.

He said: ‘You have to provide a leadership and a vision that there’s good things to come and it’s not all negative.

‘And for my children, particularly, knowing that the planet’s going to be in a better, healthier state because of the people in this room is something I love to tell them when they go to bed – it’s going to be great, your future is going to be as bright as futures gone by and that’s a really important message for all us to hear.’

He added: ‘A world without hope and a world without positivity is a pretty depressing place.’