Cancer journey is ‘complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone,’ princess says.
1 of 2 | “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,” read a statement on Monday by Catherine, the princess of Wales. File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI | License Photo
Britain’s Princess Catherine said Monday she completed chemotherapy treatments for her undisclosed type of cancer and in “coming months” will take on more royal duties.
“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,” Catherine, the princess of Wales and wife of Prince William, next in line for the British throne after his father King Charles III, wrote on X. Advertisement
The post was accompanied by a video featuring family clips of the royal couple and their three children in a country setting likely at Balmoral Castle in Scotland as Catherine said she cannot tell you what a relief it is” to complete her assigned chemotherapy treatments as summer draws to a close.
“William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time,” she said, pointing to “everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion” which she said has been “truly humbling.”
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A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales
As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment.
The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an… pic.twitter.com/9S1W8sDHUL— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 9, 2024
Buckingham Palace in March announced Catherine had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment after she underwent abdominal surgery in January.
She said at the time that tests after her operation had found cancer and on the advice of her medical team “advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”
Her diagnosis came shortly after King Charles III confirmed that he was undergoing treatment for cancer after seeking medical options for an enlarged prostate.
On Monday, describing her last nine months as “incredibly tough” for the close-knit family, Catherine added that “life as you know it can change in an instant” and to get through it “we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.” Advertisement
Her own journey with cancer, she wrote, was “complex, scary and unpredictable” not unlike her but “for everyone, especially those closest to you.” Her focus now, she said, will be on “doing what I can to stay cancer-free.”
In June, the 42-year-old presumptive queen in a update said she was “making good progress” as she continued chemotherapy to treat her undisclosed cancer.
That was almost immediately followed by her first public appearance since the diagnosis earlier this year at the king’s official birthday celebration where along with her husband Prince William and their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London with the reigning monarch and Queen Camilla to watch a Royal Air Force flyover.
With humility, she wrote, “it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything.”
The future British king and queen celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary in April.
“This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted,” she said, “of simply loving and being loved.” Advertisement
Saying she has entered “a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life, the princess says “in the coming months” she will put “a few more public engagements” on the diary, adding that she is “looking forward to being back at work.”
“To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey,” the mother of Britain’ future King George VII wrote, “I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.
