Kate, Princess of Wales, says her recovery from cancer post-treatment has been “really, really difficult.”
On Wednesday, Kate made a visit to Colchester Hospital in Essex, where she spoke candidly with hospital patients, volunteers and staff about the toll her cancer recovery has taken.
“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult,” Kate told the group, per People.
“You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to,” she continued. “And actually, someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment, I think is really valuable.”
Kate announced in January that her cancer had gone into remission. She noted that her focus was still on making a full recovery and that she would ease back into her public duties.
She publicly revealed her cancer diagnosis in March 2024, and said she was receiving chemotherapy treatments. Details on what type of cancer she had been diagnosed with have not been shared.
The princess’ visit to Colchester Hospital is part of her slow return to public duties — which she began in September 2024 upon completing her chemotherapy treatments.
While speaking at the hospital on Wednesday, Kate described her recovery process as a “roller coaster,” and emphasized the importance of community support.
“Someone described the sort of healing, recovery journey to me as being like a sort of zig-zag,” she said, per The Independent.
“It’s a roller coaster. It’s not one smooth plain, which you expect it to be, but the reality is it’s not. You go through hard times, and to have a place like this, to have the support network, whether its through creativity and singing or gardening, whatever it might be, is so valuable, and it’s great that this community has it,” she said. “It would be great if lots of communities had this kind of support.”
Also during her visit, Kate took a moment to serve in the hospital’s Royal Horticultural Society Wellbeing Garden, which offers respite to patients, visitors and others. Kate planted several Catherine’s Rose plants in the garden, a rose the hospital named after the princess.
While speaking solely with hospital volunteers and staff, Kate detailed how life-altering a cancer diagnosis can be for patients and their loved ones, per ABC News.
“It’s life-changing for anyone, through first diagnosis or post-treatment and things like that, it is a life-changing experience both for the individual patient but also for the families as well,” she said.
“And actually, it sometimes goes unrecognized, you don’t necessarily, particularly when it’s the first time, you don’t appreciate how much impact it is going to have. You have to find your new normal, and that takes time.”
When did Kate get cancer?
Its been more than a year since the Princess of Wales underwent a “planned abdominal surgery,” which led to doctors detecting and diagnosing her cancer.
After the operation, Kate retreated from the public to recover for about two months. Her absence sparked public speculation and several high-profile conspiracy theories.
In March 2024, she publicly announced via social media that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was receiving treatments.
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London. And at the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” she said in a video statement shared on X.
She continued, “As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.”
In September 2024, Kate revealed she had completed her chemotherapy cancer treatments and was feeling “relief,” she shared in a video message.
“Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”
Kate confirmed her cancer had gone into remission in January, and noted that her focus remained on recovery, though she planned to make a gradual return to public duties.
“As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal,” she shared in a social media statement at the time.
“I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.”