GB News’ Royal Correspondent Cameron Walker has provided his exclusive insight into a new Prince William television interview, the Prince and Princess of Wales’s visit to Southport and Princess Anne’s tireless royal work.
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IS THIS PRINCE WILLIAM’S MOST PERSONAL TELEVISION INTERVIEW TO DATE?
This is possibly the most personal television interview Prince William has ever given.
Speaking to Schitt’s Creek star Eugene Levy over a pint about his “brutal” 2024 – a year his wife and father were diagnosed with cancer – the future King opened up.
“I’d say 2024 was the hardest year I’ve ever had. Life is said to test us as well, and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are.”
Following relentless online speculation, the Princess of Wales announced she was undergoing treatment for cancer in March last year.
She and William, first and foremost, wanted to protect their young children, but Prince William was also grappling with his father’s cancer diagnosis – alongside his wife’s.
Balancing public duties as the next King of 15 nations, alongside the personal commitments as a father, husband and son, took its toll.
Now, it appears that the Prince is prepared to open up to the public, having an honest conversation about his own mental resilience.
During a 2017 documentary, Prince William spoke about his mother, Princess Diana’s untimely death.
He said: “It’ll either make or break you. And I wouldn’t let it break me. I wanted it to make me. I wanted her to be proud of the person I would become.”
The Prince of Wales has acquired overwhelming support from the British public; the latest polling shows he and Catherine are the most popular members of the Royal Family.
Prince William is speaking in a new episode of the Apple TV+ travel series, “The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy”.
The Schitt’s Creek star is invited to Windsor Castle during the episode airing on October 3.
The Princess of Wales is now in remission from cancer. King Charles, meanwhile, continues a weekly cycle of treatment.
Is this Prince William’s most personal television interview to date?
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IAN GAVAN/APPLETV+ / GB NEWS
SOUTHPORT VISIT
On Tuesday, the Prince and Princess of Wales made surprise visits to the schools where three murdered schoolgirls used to study, before they were brutally killed in a knife attack in Southport last summer.
It was Prince William and Catherine’s second visit to the northern town since the incident, and they met the bereaved parents of Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King, and Alice da Silva Aguiar.
At Churchtown Primary School, where Alice and Bebe attended, the royals were shown a new playground which was built in their memory after a fundraising campaign.
The Prince also delivered a speech in front of the 700 pupils, teachers and bereaved parents:
“To Alex and Sergio, Lauren and Ben, Jenni and David – you are parents united in grief. You have faced such horror, but from that, you move forward with grace and fortitude, creating the most remarkable legacies for your girls. We will always be here to support you.”
Tuesday’s engagement was an insight into the kind of leader Prince William wants to be.
When he spoke to us in South Africa last November, he said the world needs more empathetic leadership.
I understand the Prince wants that to be the core force behind his charity work and community visits.
He described his future role as a “royal with a smaller ‘r’,” focusing on impact rather than pomp and ceremony.
British traditions, however, are largely based around pomp and ceremony and, as proven last week, can help enormously by impressing leaders like President Trump.
As he gets closer to the “top job”, perhaps Prince William will be able to find a balance between progressive modernity and valued tradition.
Princess Kate and Prince William pictured visiting Southport
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ANNE FOLLOWING IN QUEEN’S FOOTSTEPS
In a poignant engagement on Wednesday, the Princess Royal followed in her mother Queen Elizabeth II’s footsteps.
Princess Anne visited The Naval Children’s Charity in Portsmouth, celebrating the organisation’s 200th anniversary.
Queen Elizabeth was Patron of the charity for 70 years before her death in September 2022.
The organisation helps several thousand young people each year, focusing on children’s wellbeing and development – particularly around the unique challenges Navy families face.
Families are given financial grants in times of crisis, such as illness or disability; mental health resources; and development opportunities.
For the Princess Royal, her relatively new patronage is particularly poignant.
Not only has she taken over from her late mother, but her late father and husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, both served in the Royal Navy.
In 2012, the King’s sister became Admiral of the Royal Navy, so she has a growing personal connection to navy families.
Princess Anne visiting Portsmouth earlier this week
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EUGENIE KEEPS CALM AND CARRIES ON
Despite her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, being caught up in another scandal, Princess Eugenie continued her charity work, ignoring the noise.
Several of Fergie’s charities parted ways with her earlier this week, after she described convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein as a “supreme friend” in a leaked email.
Her daughter Princess Eugenie, meanwhile, appears to be bravely carrying on with her own work, despite the storm created by her parents.
She was in New York, working with The Anti Slavery Collective – an organisation the Princess co-founded to tackle forced work in business supply chains.
Posting photos to her Instagram account, she said: “The Anti-Slavery Collective have been working on a project showing the connection between fake fashion & forced labour.
“I was very proud to host an event to coincide with UNGA and NYC Climate Week to launch this exciting new project, and shine a light on this underreported human rights scandal.
“The Anti-Slavery Collective launched a new short film and hosted a roundtable for fashion insiders, re-seller platforms, designers, brands, behavioural scientists, fashion press, and illicit trade experts.
“This is only the beginning and I can’t wait to see this project unfold!”