Catherine, Princess of Wales, says she is relieved to have “finally completed” chemotherapy treatment and plans to take on light commitments until the end of the year.
The 42-year-old British royal, who revealed in March that she had an undisclosed form of cancer, shared the update in a personal video on Monday that features several candid moments with her husband, Prince William, and their three children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte. Catherine, formerly Kate Middleton, said the past nine months have been “scary” and “incredibly hard for us as a family.”
“I am now focused on doing everything I can to remain cancer-free. Although I have completed chemotherapy, my road to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” he said. “However, I hope to return to work and take on some more public engagements in the coming months, when I am able.”
The video, which played like a cinematic reel featuring the royal family, was filmed last month by Will Warr while the royal family was in Norfolk, Kensington Palace said.
Catherine began treatment in late February, but the palace has not said when she received her last treatment. The palace also declined to say what type of cancer she has and at what stage it was diagnosed, citing the princess’s “right to medical privacy.” The princess and the palace only revealed that her cancer was discovered after she underwent “major abdominal surgery” in January and that she was being treated with preventative chemotherapy. a secondary treatment In the United States this is known as adjuvant chemotherapy.
While she will undertake a number of public engagements in the coming months, Catherine will not take them up immediately due to a period of recovery from treatment, The Times confirmed.
“The last nine months have been incredibly hard on us as a family. Life as we know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate turbulent waters and uncharted paths,” Catherine said in the video, which shows the family hiking and spending time in nature. “The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to us.
“Humility also allows us to confront our own vulnerabilities in a way we never considered before, and with it, a new perspective on everything,” she continued. “This moment has reminded William and I above all, to reflect and be grateful for the simple but important things in life, which many of us often take for granted. Simply to love and be loved.”
Catherine said she was entering “this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation for life,” and that she and William, who is first in line to the British throne, were grateful for the support they had received over the past year.
“The kindness, empathy and compassion from everyone has been truly heartwarming,” she said, adding: “To all those who continue their own journey against cancer, I stand with you, arm in arm, hand in hand. Out of darkness can come light, so let that light shine brightly.”
Catherine plans to return to “a light schedule of external engagements for the remainder of the year, reflecting the need to focus on making a full recovery,” said a person close to the royal family who was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. Decisions about 2025 will be made based on medical advice, but she has begun working from home and will continue to do so for the next few months, the person said.
The former upper middle class commoner, who She married into the British royal family in 2011.She has made few public appearances and provided few progress reports since revealing her diagnosis. Her last appearance at a public event was on August 25, when she attended church services near Balmoral Castle in Scotland with William, King Charles III and Queen Camilla. In June, she attended the festive Trooping the Colour, which marked her first public event since last December.
In the months that followed, there was much speculation about the princess's retirement from public life and royal duties, fuelling widespread concern about her whereabouts and well-being. Her shocking announcement that she was suffering from cancer in March came shortly after hospital staff had allegedly breached her medical records at the London Clinic and months after Buckingham Palace announced that the king had been diagnosed with cancer.
William resumed public duties last week after taking a break over the summer and skipping some major events earlier this year due to illnesses in his family. He, Catherine and their daughter Charlotte made a notable public appearance at the Wimbledon final in July, and he and Catherine took part in a social media video congratulating British Olympians after the Paris Games.
Catherine will not join him on Tuesday during three engagements she has in Wales, The Times has confirmed, but is likely to appear at the Cenotaph in Whitehall in London on Remembrance Sunday in November and is likely to host the carol service in December.
