PRINCE William seen by his dad’s side as his wife Kate looked on proves his “hardest year ever” has finally turned a corner, a royal expert has said.

The Prince of Wales, 42, laid a wreath alongside King Charles at the Cenotaph to commemorate the nation’s war dead on Remembrance Sunday.

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King Charles III and Prince William at the Cenotaph todayCredit: Getty

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The King and members of the Royal Family attend the annual Remembrance Day Service

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Catherine, Princess of Wales watches on from a balconyCredit: Getty
Watching from a government building balcony was Kate, who made a rare public appearance this weekend to attend events marking Armistice Day.

Just days ago William described this year as the “hardest” in his life after the cancer diagnoses of wife Kate, 42, and dad King Charles, 75.

Asked on a trip to South Africa how his year has been, he replied: “Honestly? It’s been dreadful.

“It’s probably been the hardest year in my life.”

But royal biographer Hugo Vickers claimed after today’s appearance, William might thinking the Royal Family has turned a corner.

He told The Sun: “When he was standing there next to his father. He must have thought. And with his wife on the balcony.

“Perhaps we’re turning a corner. Perhaps things are going to get better now. He’s had a really rough time.”

William previously opened his heart with an honest assessment of the past 12 months in an interview with UK print media in Cape Town.

William, who took time off while Kate was being treated, added: “So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.

“But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for ­handling the things that they have done.

“But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”

Yet the Prince of Wales insisted he just had to “crack on” with life.

Hugo continued: “It must have been very, very brutal because I would have thought that the year in which he lost his mother was pretty bad as well.

“To lose your mother when you’re a young teenager is absolutely dreadful.

It’s probably been the hardest year in my life.

Prince William

“His particular problem as the Prince of Wales is that he never knows from one day to the next when he’s going to suddenly be called upon to become king.

“Therefore, if his father is ill, that becomes much more crucial. If his wife is also ill, and we know she’s been very ill, because we’ve hardly seen her at all this year.

“Apart from one or two memorable occasions like Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon.

“And last night and today, when she’s come out. He really has had the cares of the world on his shoulder.

“I have a huge huge amount of sympathy for him in dealing with that.

“He’s also got young children and they need looking after.

“They must have all been terribly worried about their mother and he must have also been very worried about the King.”

The Princess of Wales spent 13 nights in hospital in January after abdominal surgery.

In a video message in March she revealed she had cancer.

In September the mum of three said she had finished her chemotherapy and was taking each day as it comes.

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A general view of The Cenotaph on November 10 in LondonCredit: Getty

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The Prince of Wales during the Remembrance Sunday serviceCredit: PA

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Charles laid the first wreath at the Cenotaph in recognition of the fallenCredit: Rex