Inside Kate Middleton’s cancer recovery – poignant update on treatment plan and ‘rough’ moments
Royal watchers were delighted to see Princess Kate looking happy and glowing in a recent video message to Team GB. However, it’s unlikely her schedule will return to normal anytime soon, according to sources.
In the clip, Kate and her husband Prince William were all smiles as they praised this year’s batch of Olympians, who they hailed as an ‘inspiration’. This marks the fourth time the mother-of-three has made a public appearance this year – either in person or via video – having taken a step back from Royal duties to focus on her health.
In March, the princess announced that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, reassuring members of the public that she was ‘making good progress’ and was ‘going to be okay’.
Kate’s brave public address, made amid wild conspiracy theories concerning her absence from official duties, led to an outpouring of affection, and many have anxiously followed Kate’s progress in the months since. Now in her fifth month of recovery, fans have been delighted to see Kate, 42, make a number of appearances over the summer, sparking speculation that she may soon be returning to work.
However, for now, Kate’s focus is very much on her recovery, and it could take some time for normality at the palace to ensue.
Royal fans were happy to see Kate smiling in a new video address ( Image: Instagram/princeandprincessofwales)
Before attending the Trooping the Colour back in June, Kate confirmed she was ‘not out the woods yet’, revealing that she was experiencing ‘good days and bad days’ in a rare candid admission.
Kate told supporters: “I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” the princess said. “On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.
“My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.
She continued: “I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet. I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much-needed time to heal. Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.”
The princess looked radiant in white as she joined her family on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the Trooping of the Colour, and many were relieved to see her signature sparkling smile once more. In July, Kate attended Wimbledon with daughter Princess Charlotte and sister Pippa Middleton, where she received an emotional standing ovation.
Timeline
The Princess of Wales received a standing ovation at Wimbledon ( Image: REX/Shutterstock)
While such appearances are certainly positive to see, Kensington Palace has confirmed that Kate won’t be returning to her usual duties until her medical team advises her to do so. Back in June, a palace spokesperson said: “We have been really clear that [Kate] needs the space and the privacy to recover right now. She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors.”
Now, following her most recent video appearance, a source has firmly reiterated that the princess is ‘not at that stage yet’, as many speculate over her timeline to recovery. The source, quoted as a royal insider, told the Mail Online: “We are not there yet. When we last heard from her ahead of Trooping the Colour, she said her treatment was going on into the summer and that’s what’s happening.
“It’s been a rough, rough time, a really difficult year for the entire family. And as she herself said, she is not out of the woods yet. The direction is positive [but] there will not be great change [in terms of her public profile] after Sunday night and no one is giving a timescale for her return.”
The publication’s royal editor, Rebecca English, also states that Kate has been continuing her preventative chemotherapy treatment this summer. But she claims that even when this ends, her recovery period will last for ‘many months’. It’s likely the princess will continue to attend keynote national events, including Remembrance Sunday, however, according to the report.
Return to work
A Royal expert has debunked rumours that Kate won’t be returning to work ( Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
William will be resuming his duties once Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis return to school, and, while Kate will remain the priority, it’s understood he’ll be taking on a fairly full workload once more this autumn. Although it’s unlikely Kate will be returning to work anytime soon, it’s likely the princess will continue to attend keynote national events, including Remembrance Sunday
A source has also debunked rumours that the princess won’t be ‘returning to work in the same capacity again’, declaring she’s ‘coming back 100 per cent’. Speaking with The Sun, Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent Katie Nicholl revealed: “I really think this is not the case. Everything I hear is that she will be back to work. She’s coming back 100 per cent to pick up as Princess of Wales and do the great work she was doing before. It will just be in her time and she’s ready and crucially when she gets the sign-off from her medical team.”
