Catherine, Princess of Wales, speaks of 'rollercoaster' cancer recovery
Kate, as she is widely called, is married to heir-to-the-throne Prince William and revealed she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in March last year.
After undergoing a course of "preventative chemotherapy", in January she revealed she was in remission and has been gradually returning to public royal duties.
Visiting a cancer support centre at Colchester Hospital in eastern England, the 43-year-old princess told patients, volunteers and staff there that life following cancer treatment was not plain sailing.
"It's a rollercoaster, it's not one smooth plain, which you expect it to be," she said.
"But the reality is it's not, you go through hard times and to have a place like this, to have the support network – whether it's through creativity and singing or gardening, whatever it might be – is so valuable and it's great that this community has it."
Kate added that patients recovering from cancer "put on a sort of brave face" and tend to show "stoicism" but noted that "the phase afterwards is really, you know, 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."
Kate, who has three young children with William, last month pulled out of attending the Royal Ascot race meeting as she continues her recovery and gradual resumption of duties.
Her father-in-law King Charles III, 76, announced in early 2024 that he too had been diagnosed with an unspecified cancer.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
Catherine, Princess of Wales, speaks of 'rollercoaster' cancer recovery
Catherine, Princess of Wales on Wednesday (Jul 2) likened recovering from cancer to riding "a rollercoaster" as she spoke of going through "hard times" in her battle with the disease. Kate, as she is widely called, is married to heir-to-the-throne Prince William and revealed she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in March last year. After undergoing a course of "preventative chemotherapy", in January she revealed she was in remission and has been gradually returning to public royal duties. Visiting a cancer support centre at Colchester Hospital in eastern England, the 43-year-old princess told patients, volunteers and staff there that life following cancer treatment was not plain sailing. "It's a rollercoaster, it's not one smooth plain, which you expect it to be," she said. "But the reality is it's not, you go through hard times and to have a place like this, to have the support network – whether it's through creativity and singing or gardening, whatever it might be – is so valuable and it's great that this community has it." Kate added that patients recovering from cancer "put on a sort of brave face" and tend to show "stoicism" but noted that "the phase afterwards is really, you know, 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." Kate, who has three young children with William, last month pulled out of attending the Royal Ascot race meeting as she continues her recovery and gradual resumption of duties. Her father-in-law King Charles III, 76, announced in early 2024 that he too had been diagnosed with an unspecified cancer.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
UK's Princess Kate says she had to 'put on brave face' in cancer journey
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales visits the RHS's Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital in Essex. July 2, 2025. Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERS LONDON - Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, said on Wednesday that she had to put on a "brave face" throughout and following her cancer treatment last year, describing the ordeal as a life-changing experience. Kate, 43, announced in March last year that she would undergo a course of chemotherapy after tests taken following major abdominal surgery revealed that an unspecified form of cancer had been present. She completed the course of treatment in September, and said earlier this year she was in remission. "You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment, treatment's done, then it's like, 'I can crack on, get back to normal', but actually the phase afterwards is really... difficult," Kate said during a visit to a hospital in Essex, southeast England. Speaking to staff, patients and volunteers at the hospital, the princess emphasised the importance of support after treatment, noting that while patients may no longer be under clinical care, they often still struggle to "function normally at home" as they once did. Kate described the cancer diagnosis and treatment as "life-changing" for both patients and their loved ones, according to PA Media, adding: "It's a rollercoaster, it's not one smooth plain". The princess has been gradually resuming her public royal role but missed the Royal Ascot horse racing event last month, with a royal source citing her need for balance following her cancer treatment. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade Singapore From camping to mentorship, Singapore scouts mark 115th anniversary of the youth movement Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty Singapore ByteDance food poisoning: Catering firm convicted after cockroach infestation found on premises Singapore The romance continues: Former 'Singapore girl', 77, returns to Osaka Expo after 55 years Singapore Teen, 17, to be charged with allegedly trespassing on MRT tracks Singapore Granddaughter of Hin Leong founder O.K. Lim fails to keep 3 insurance policies from creditors' reach Singapore Man on trial for raping drunken woman after offering to drive her and her friend home
CNA
23-06-2025
- CNA
UK probes maternity services after scandals
LONDON: UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Monday (Jun 23) announced a "rapid national investigation" into English maternity services after a string of scandals over 15 years. Streeting said he ordered the probe after hearing many "deeply painful stories of trauma, loss and a lack of basic compassion - caused by failures in NHS (National Health Service) maternity care that should never have happened". A series of reports into state-funded maternity units in recent years have laid bare failings in the care of women and babies. A damning 2022 report into one found failures at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust in central England had contributed to the deaths of 201 babies and nine mothers over a 20-year period. Streeting said it was clear from his meetings with bereaved families and others who had suffered avoidable harm that "something is going wrong" with England's maternity and neonatal services. "That's why I've ordered a rapid national investigation to make sure these families get the truth and the accountability they deserve, and ensure no parent or baby is ever let down again," he said. The investigation will be broken into two parts, a health ministry statement said. The first will "urgently investigate up to 10 of the most concerning" maternity and neonatal units. The second will be a nationwide look at services, "bringing together lessons from past inquiries to create one clear, national set of actions to improve care across every NHS maternity service". Baby loss charity Sands welcomed the investigation, calling it "much needed and long overdue". "LINE IN THE SAND" Jim Mackey, chief executive at NHS England, said the investigation would mark "a line in the sand for maternity care - setting out one set of clear actions for NHS leaders to ensure high quality care for all". The last Conservative government's health secretary, Sajid Javid, apologised in parliament after the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital probe was published in March 2022. Report author Donna Ockenden listed repeated failings from 2000 to 2019 that resulted in babies being stillborn, dying shortly after birth or being left severely brain damaged. Seven months later another report published more damning findings on services run by hospitals in east Kent in southeast England. Some 45 babies who died at two hospitals there might have survived if their care had been up to standard, the report by Bill Kirkup found. Kirkup, who seven years previously had published similar findings after probing baby deaths at another group of hospitals - Morecambe Bay NHS Trust - in northwestern England, said that once again, lessons had not been learned. "On at least eight separate occasions over a 10-year period, the trust board (at East Kent) was presented with what should have been inescapable signals that there were serious problems. "They could have put it right ... but they didn't. In every single case they found a way to deny that there were problems," he said, adding: "This cannot go on." Ockenden is currently carrying out a review of maternity services at hospitals in Nottingham in central England after serious concerns about standards. "CRITICAL CONDITION" A study published in January 2024 found that the number of women in Britain dying during pregnancy or soon afterwards has reached its highest level in almost two decades. The findings from MBRRACE-UK, which monitors maternal deaths, stillbirths and infant deaths, and their causes, found that the maternal death rate for the period 2020 to 2022 was 11.54 per 100,000. This is up from 8.79 per 100,000 in 2017-2019 and the highest since 2003-2005. The NHS was a major issue at last year's general election. In September, an independent report described it as being in a "critical condition" following years of underfunding and ineffective reorganisation.
