After a difficult year that included both his father King Charles and his wife Princess Kate battling undisclosed cancer diagnoses, Prince William is hopeful the Princess of Wales will join him on royal trips next year.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have been front and centre this season, with Princess Kate returning to royal life following her cancer recovery. And now as she gradually scales up her duties, the royal couple has emerged as leaders within the fold.

While in South Africa for the Earthshot Prize, the prince told reporters that the cancer diagnoses of his wife, Catherine, and his father, King Charles, had been “brutal.”