After going through a tumultuous time in his life, Prince William is preparing to make his mark as king with the help of his late mother.

During a trip to South Africa this month, the Prince of Wales described the past year as “brutal” following cancer diagnoses from his wife and father. He admitted that 2024 is probably “the hardest year of my life.”

“It was really hard trying to juggle everything else and keep everything on track,” William added.

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Kate Middleton and King Charles were diagnosed with cancer this year. (Getty Images)

“This was the hardest year of Prince William’s life; both his wife and father were very ill, and he had to stay strong for his family while continuing to serve the nation,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.

“She will be reminded of the trauma of losing her mother at an early age,” he explained. “I’m sure he feared he might lose his nearest and dearest again… Prince William will always honor and respect his mother. Her mother was a great role model for him, teaching him to love people, help people, and use his platform to create change for the better.” “

The Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne, recently appeared in a two-part documentary called “Prince William: We Can End Homelessness.” Privately, the 42-year-old actor allowed cameras to follow him through the early years of the Homewards initiative, which aims to end long-term homelessness in the UK.

In September, Kate Middleton announced she was “cancer free” after completing chemotherapy treatments. (Will Warr)

Princess Diana came up frequently in the first part of the documentary.

Princess Diana told her son, Prince William, heir to the British throne, about homelessness. (Getty Images)

“Princess Diana is a huge influence on Prince William,” said Roya Nikkhah, The Sunday Times royal editor and co-host of the podcast “Roya and Kate with the Royal Family” he told Fox News Digital.

“What’s so interesting is that you hear him, in his own words, think a lot about: ‘What do people want my role to be? What do people want from me?'” he shared. “And she says, ‘I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and now more than ever I’m guided and inspired by my mother.'”

Princess Diana died in 1997. He was 36 years old. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

“Diana’s vision – taking her young sons to homeless shelters when they were very young, showing them the other side of life, her pioneering work in all kinds of areas, including mental health, HIV, AIDS and homelessness – made a huge impact on her.” ” said Nikkhah. “He is still shaping his role as heir to the throne and a father. “It’s about how she introduced herself and Harry to these subjects and how she started introducing her children to them as well.”

Prince William sleeps on the streets of London to raise awareness of Centrepoint’s work with homeless young people on December 15, 2009 in London. (Enver Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

“It still has a big impact,” Nikkhah added.

In the documentary, William recalled how, growing up, his mother took him and Prince Harry to The Passage, which works to end homelessness.

Prince William as a baby at Kensington Palace. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

“I was a little worried about what to expect,” Royal recalled. people magazine. “My mother was doing her usual job of comforting everyone, laughing and joking with everyone. I remember thinking at the time: ‘If everyone doesn’t have a home, they’re all going to be really sad.’ But it was incredible to have such a happy environment.”

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Prince William speaks to homeless Ali Lyiguven during a visit to the centre, at Centrepoint homeless hostel in London on December 20, 2006. (Anwar Hussain Collection/ROTA/WireImage/Getty Images)

“I remember having some good conversations just playing chess and chatting, and that’s when I realized there were other people out there who weren’t living the same life as you,” he admitted. “When you’re quite young, you really think that life is what you see in front of you. You don’t really have the idea of ​​looking elsewhere. And that’s when you meet people, like I did back then, someone who puts a different perspective in your head and says, ‘I was on the street last night.’ .”

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According to the press, in addition to The Passage, William also became the patron of Centrepoint, another charity aimed at tackling homelessness. Diana was previously the boss of Centrepoint.

“I think by championing some of the causes that Princess Diana held dear and staying true to her values, Prince William honors Diana’s legacy In her public and personal life, Kinsey Schofield, host of the “To Di For Daily” podcast, told Fox News Digital.

Diana, Princess of Wales, is seen here visiting Centrepoint, where she works as a patron. (Tim Graham Image Library/Getty Images)

“Princess Diana was known for her hands-on approach to charity work, particularly in areas related to homelessness, AIDS awareness and anti-mine campaigns,” he noted. “William has continued this legacy, focusing on mental health advocacy, homelessness and environmental protection through his work with organizations such as Heads Together and the Royal Foundation’s Earthshot Award.”

Former Prince Charles was seen with his two sons at Princess Diana’s funeral on September 6, 1997. (Enver Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

“Diana had a unique ability to connect with people from all walks of life, and William carried this forward by being approachable and relatable,” Schofield said. “He and Catherine, Princess of Wales make an effort to engage directly with the public, especially during royal engagements, making the monarchy feel more accessible.”

Schofield said that the public is already starting to get preliminary information about what kind of king William will be and that Diana’s influence is at the forefront.

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Prince William took some time off this year to support his wife as she battles cancer. (Michael Regan – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

“We were inspired by Diana’s candor Regarding his struggles, Schofield said Prince William has become a leading advocate for mental health awareness. “She speaks openly about the importance of mental health and has been instrumental in initiatives such as Heads Together, encouraging others to break the stigma around mental health.” health problems.”

“What’s so interesting is, in his own words, ‘What do people want my role to be? What do people want from me?’ And you hear her say, ‘I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and now more than ever I’m guided and inspired by my mother.'”

— Roya Nikkhah, royal editor of The Sunday Times

Kate Middleton and Prince William take their three children to their first day at the new school in September 2022. (Jonathan Brady – Pool/Getty Images)

“Prince William’s style is often more approachable and modern, like Diana’s, appealing to contemporary audiences and helping to shape the future of the monarchy,” he added.

The glamorous Princess Diana of Wales, Died from injuries in 1997 had a car accident. He was 36 years old. William was 15 years old at the time.

Britain’s Diana, Princess of Wales, and her son Prince William visit The Passage in London, circa 1993. (Passage/Paper via Reuters)

“He reportedly told his mother (before she died) that he would give her HRH title back when he became king,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. he said.

“(This) emphasizes that we will always keep him in our thoughts as a guiding light and continue his legacy wherever possible.”

“Prince William has great empathy, passion and desire to do good and affect change,” Chard said. “He will keep his mother’s legacy alive but is determined to continue working hard to do good and create change in his role as a statesman.”

Prince William, Prince of Wales speaks while attending the Diana Legacy Awards at the Science Museum in London on March 14, 2024. (Getty Images)

“Princess Diana was a wonderful role model for Prince William, and now he is sharing and teaching his children all the gifts he was taught by his mother. It’s a wonderful ripple effect, and Prince William will continue to work passionately for all his causes.” “He shares a huge amount of optimism for the year ahead.”

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Princess Diana is seen here with her sons Prince William (left) and Prince Harry (right), circa 1995. He died two years later. (Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

Chard noted that William must continue to develop his unique role as a future king while learning valuable lessons from his mother. Chard said William “shares a huge amount of optimism for next year” with the support of his family.

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Kate Middleton joined Prince William for an unannounced visit to Southport to meet the young families of the victims killed during the July 29 mass stabbing. (Getty Images)

“Princess Diana was a wonderful role model for Prince William, and now he shares and teaches his children all the gifts he was taught by his mother,” he said. “This is a wonderful ripple effect, and Prince William will continue to work passionately for all of his causes.”

“She also specifically wanted Prince William. who will be kingBeing able to turn a task into a source of job satisfaction, said British royal expert Hilary Fordwich.

Princess Diana is seen here with her private secretary Patrick Jephson. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

“Princess Diana’s private secretary, Patrick Jephson, saw first-hand how to turn royal duty into something fulfilling and thus derive personal reward from it. He wanted Patrick to ‘feel good by doing good’ (as he told me).”