Catherine, Princess of Wales, is giving a raw look into her life after cancer and opening up about the recovery process.
During a new public appearance at a hospital in Essex, England, the former Kate Middleton spoke to patients about her own experience with cancer.
“You put on a sort of brave face (with) stoicism through treatment. (When) treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal again,’” she said, per video footage from the BBC.
The British royal first announced her cancer diagnosis in March 2024 and revealed that she would be undergoing chemotherapy. By September 2024, she had finished treatment and then announced that she was in remission in January 2025.
While speaking with patients, the mother of three admitted that going back to normal life after finishing treatment isn’t always a reality for cancer patients.
“But actually the phase afterwards is really difficult. 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 said.
The mother of three noted that it helps to have someone to guide you through the process that comes after treatment.
“You have to find your new normal and that takes time,” she said.
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Kate went on to describe the period after treatment as a “rollercoaster.”
“It’s not one smooth plane, which you expect it to be. But the reality is it’s not. You go through hard times,” she said.
The princess also acknowledged that a cancer diagnosis takes a toll on a patient’s loved ones.
“But 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 patient but also for the families as well,” she said.
Kate encouraged the hospital’s patients to give themselves grace throughout the process, saying, “There is this whole phase when you finish your treatment that you, yourself, everybody, expects you — ‘Right, you’ve finished your time, go, you’re better.’ And that’s not the case at all.”
In May 2025, the royal’s brother, James Middleton, discussed his sister’s cancer journey during an interview with The Times.
“What I think is that, as a family, you learn to see and process and understand things. For her and her family it was a challenging time, and I know for us and our bigger family it was a challenging time, but I think it’s about communication and it’s about offering support and help where you can,” he said.
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