Members of the British royal family are famously private when it comes to their health and well-being, but Kate, Princess of Wales, has shared sporadic insights into her cancer journey over the past two years, including revealing in a new interview how she approaches her recovery.
Kate, who shared her cancer diagnosis with the world in March 2024, has said she was told there would be highs and lows.
Speaking to Britain’s Country Life magazine, Kate said, “I was told in hospital that my recovery would not be linear. There will be good days and bad days, that it will take time.”
She says she sought solace in nature, calling it her “sanctuary.”
“What I feel really passionate about, having had first-hand experience, is approaching illness and recovery through a whole-person approach. Yes, serious illness creates a lot of physical challenges, but there is also a deeper part to all of us.
“Nature has allowed me to find a deeper connection to my mind, body and spirit. I think that’s because nature offers something unique. It doesn’t ask anything of us. It doesn’t judge us or expect us to perform. It simply allows us to be. It really has been my sanctuary and a place I’ve instinctively wanted to go.”
The royal made her diagnosis known in 2024 following mounting speculation and a break from royal duties. After weeks of people sharingconspiracy theories, a video was posted on the Prince and Princess of Wales’s joint Instagram account on March 22 of that year.
The clip revealed that in January 2024, Kate had undergone a successful “major abdominal surgery,” which found that “cancer had been present.”
The type of cancer Kate was diagnosed with was never shared with the public.
In September 2024, the royal revealed that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment. “As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” she said in an Instagram video.
“The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant, and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown,” she said. “The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you.”
While the mother of three shared that she had finished her chemotherapy, she said the road to recovery is “long” and that she has to “take each day as it comes.”
In January 2025, Kateissued a statement announcing that her cancer is in remission and she is focused “on recovery.”
“As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal,” she said. “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.”
In June of this year, Kate took part in the National Three Peaks Challenge, a famous U.K. endurance challenge, climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa (formerly known as Snowdon), the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales respectively.
In a video message posted afterward, she reflected on her own experience with cancer, saying, “I’m so grateful to be here, to be strong enough to walk these hills. But, more importantly, it’s to give something back and acknowledge, really, all the incredible work going on up and down this country.”
Kate fundraised for the hospital she was treated at, London’s Royal Marsden, and returned to visit the hospital, where she was treated herself, in September. Speaking with a patient, Hello! reports that Kate said, “It’s amazing how resilient you can be.” Afterward, the patient said that both he and Kate thought immediately of their kids and family when diagnosed.
