
Catherine, Princess of Wales makes first public appearance after dropping out of Royal Ascot
Kate visited the hospital garden in the southeast of England to 'celebrate the incredible healing power of nature,' according to Kensington Palace.
During the visit, the princess also met with patients and staff at the hospital's Cancer Wellbeing Centre 'to understand how gardens in healthcare settings play a crucial role in promoting good health outcomes, preventing poor health and supporting increased recovery time,' the palace said.
Kate, 43, has underlined the importance of nature in her health journey over the last year.
'Over the past year, nature has been my sanctuary,' she said in a video posted on X to mark Mental Health Awareness Week in May.
Kate revealed her cancer diagnosis and that she had started chemotherapy last March. As she underwent treatment, she stepped back from public life and only made a few rare appearances last summer. In September, she announced she had completed chemotherapy and was 'doing what I can to stay cancer free.'
Although she has taken on more appearances this year, the popular royal is understood to be working to find the right balance as she returns to public duties after treatment.
Before dropping out of Ascot at short notice, Kate had attended a number of engagements in recent weeks, including two major events in the royal calendar, the Trooping the Colour parade in London and the Order of the Garter service in Windsor.
She resumed in-person duties last week when she and Prince William invited Melinda French Gates for a meeting at Windsor Castle. They were understood to have discussed their philanthropic work, according to Britain's PA Media news agency.
Kate's visit to Colchester Hospital on Wednesday coincided with the hospital accepting a donation of 50 'Catherine's Rose' plants, a specially-bred rose named in her honor by the Royal Horticultural Society. She planted some of these roses, which, when sold commercially, will have their proceeds donated to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Kate has become deeply involved in the charity since her diagnosis. In January, Kensington Palace announced that she had been named the joint patron of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the specialist cancer center in Chelsea, west London, where she was treated.
Funds from the sale of these roses will be used to help the charity establish a specialist program helping cancer patients live well with the disease, and after their treatment has been completed.
CNN's Lauren Said-Moorhouse contributed reporting.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cash cards to pay for gluten-free food in UK first
People in Wales who cannot eat gluten will be given debit-style cards preloaded with money to help pay for their food. The UK-first move, which begins later this year, will be an alternative to the current system where those with conditions such as coeliac disease - which affects about one in 100 people - get food on prescription from the pharmacy. Coeliac Cherylee Barker, 54, from Narberth, Pembrokeshire, took part in a pilot scheme and got £14 a month, which she said "scratches the surface of the cost". A Coeliac UK report said a gluten free diet added 35% to food bills and Health Minister Jeremy Miles said the Welsh government wanted to "de-medicalise the supply of gluten-free foods". The new card will work like a chip and Pin bank card and be taken in most places that sell gluten-free food, including supermarkets, shops, community pharmacies and online stores, according to the Welsh government. It would not say how much people will be given - just that it will vary by person and be regularly reviewed - or how much would be spent on the scheme. Ministers anticipate it will be "cost neutral" and not add any more to the NHS budget. The prescription model will still be available in Wales, which is similar to schemes in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. High cost of gluten-free food labelled 'unfair' Call for better coeliac care after Weetabix death Coeliac patients may lose gluten-free prescription Those with coeliac disease cannot eat gluten as their immune system attacks their own tissues and their body cannot properly take in nutrients. It results in symptoms including bloating, vomiting and diarrhoea. There is also an added cost . with gluten-free food more expensive Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons, the four leading supermarkets. The average price of a own brand loaf of bread was 63p, compared with £2.26 for a gluten-free equivalent. Supermarket penne pasta averaged 56p per 500g whereas the lowest gluten-free option averaged £1.22. Ms Barker has been part of the pilot scheme in the Hywel Dda health board area for the past five years. She gets £42 every three months, which equates to £14 a month, and described the previous prescription system as "slightly embarrassing" and the food "not that edible". She said: "I didn't want to take the money from the NHS. I thought 'just suck it up and see' but after a little while I just found it was just becoming more and more expensive. "It isn't a lifestyle choice, it is a need." Despite saying the card was "fantastic" she said the amount she got was only "scratching the surface" of rising costs for everybody, especially coeliacs. Bethan Williams, 24, from Cardiff, said prescriptions did not work for her as the food was low quality. As a vegetarian, she said the cash cards could give people with additional dietary needs the freedom to make healthy choices. "I am in a good position that I can afford the higher quality bread but that is not the case for all people," she said. "Eating food and being able to eat a balanced diet isn't a privilege, it's something everyone should be entitled to." For businesses such as Plumvanilla Cafe and deli in Narberth, which accepts the cash card, making sure they can serve the community's needs is becoming more necessary. Gemma Beere, who works at the cafe, said: "We've noticed more and more people shopping with gluten-free requirements so we like to keep a big stock." But she added it was a challenge balancing stocking the shelves with the high cost items and making sure nothing goes to waste. Miles said the move would cut "administrative burdens on GPs and pharmacies". He added: "For people living with coeliac disease, following a strict gluten-free diet is not a lifestyle choice but a medical necessity. "We want to de-medicalise the supply of gluten-free foods in Wales, giving people more freedom to access the food they want to eat, more conveniently, to help them to manage their condition." Tristen Humphreys from Coeliac UK said: "We need to recognise that a gluten-free diet is the treatment for coeliac disease, it's a serious autoimmune disease not a lifestyle choice – we want that recognised." He added supporting people's diets would help prevent health complications down the line and was "cost efficient" for the NHS and called on other UK nations to follow suit. Additional reporting by Sara Dafydd
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Your colon's got a ‘sixth sense' — here's how it can lead to weight loss
Talk about a 'gut feeling.' New research from Duke University highlights the role of neuropods, specialized sensory cells in the colon that act like taste buds for the gut. Neuropods 'sample' nutrients like sugars and bacterial byproducts and quickly send signals to the brain, guiding food choices and even influencing when it's time to stop eating. Researchers call the phenomenon 'neurobiotic sense' — a 'hidden sixth sense.' They hope it paves the way for new obesity treatments and provides insight into mental health disorders affected by diet. 'It's similar to how we use our other senses — sight, sound, smell, taste and touch — to interpret our world,' the study authors said. 'But this one operates from an unexpected place: The gut.' Scientists have long known about the gut-brain connection, the major communication highway that affects digestion, mood and overall well-being. For their part, the colon's neuropod cells can warn the brain of bacterial intruders. The new Duke study — published Wednesday in the journal Nature — focuses on flagellin, a key structural protein that enables bacteria to move. Some of our gut bacteria release flagellin when we eat. Neuropod cells use a special receptor called TLR5 to recognize flagellin and relay the information through the vagus nerve — the main link between the gut and the brain. The researchers examined how this works in mice. They had one set of mice fast overnight before giving them a small dose of flagellin from Salmonella Typhimurium, a well-studied type of bacteria that causes infections. The mice ate less. They repeated these steps with mice that had their TLR5 receptor 'knocked out.' These mice continued to eat and ended up gaining weight because the brain couldn't pick up on the flagellin signal. No other changes to the mice's behavior were detected. The results suggest that TLR5 helps tell the brain that it's time to put down the fork. The brain doesn't get the memo without the receptor. 'If we disrupt this pathway, then the animals end up eating a little bit more for a little bit longer,' Duke School of Medicine neuroscientist Diego Bohórquez told The Post. Bohórquez previously demonstrated that neuropod cells in the gut can distinguish between real sugar and artificial sweeteners. The cells communicate this information to the brain, driving the preference for sugar. 'Looking ahead, I think this work will be especially helpful for the broader scientific community to explain how our behavior is influenced by microbes,' said Bohórquez, a professor of medicine and neurobiology and senior study author. 'One clear next step is to investigate how specific diets change the microbial landscape in the gut,' he added. 'That could be a key piece of the puzzle in conditions like obesity or psychiatric disorders.' Bohórquez said that future research should also address the effect of bacterial strains beyond Salmonella Typhimurium and explore whether antibiotics or probiotics can influence this neurobiotic sense. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cash cards to pay for gluten-free food in UK first
People in Wales who cannot eat gluten will be given debit-style cards preloaded with money to help pay for their food. The UK-first move, which begins later this year, will be an alternative to the current system where those with conditions such as coeliac disease - which affects about one in 100 people - get food on prescription from the pharmacy. Coeliac Cherylee Barker, 54, from Narberth, Pembrokeshire, took part in a pilot scheme and got £14 a month, which she said "scratches the surface of the cost". A Coeliac UK report said a gluten free diet added 35% to food bills and Health Minister Jeremy Miles said the Welsh government wanted to "de-medicalise the supply of gluten-free foods". The new card will work like a chip and Pin bank card and be taken in most places that sell gluten-free food, including supermarkets, shops, community pharmacies and online stores, according to the Welsh government. It would not say how much people will be given - just that it will vary by person and be regularly reviewed - or how much would be spent on the scheme. Ministers anticipate it will be "cost neutral" and not add any more to the NHS budget. The prescription model will still be available in Wales, which is similar to schemes in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. High cost of gluten-free food labelled 'unfair' Call for better coeliac care after Weetabix death Coeliac patients may lose gluten-free prescription Those with coeliac disease cannot eat gluten as their immune system attacks their own tissues and their body cannot properly take in nutrients. It results in symptoms including bloating, vomiting and diarrhoea. There is also an added cost . with gluten-free food more expensive Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons, the four leading supermarkets. The average price of a own brand loaf of bread was 63p, compared with £2.26 for a gluten-free equivalent. Supermarket penne pasta averaged 56p per 500g whereas the lowest gluten-free option averaged £1.22. Ms Barker has been part of the pilot scheme in the Hywel Dda health board area for the past five years. She gets £42 every three months, which equates to £14 a month, and described the previous prescription system as "slightly embarrassing" and the food "not that edible". She said: "I didn't want to take the money from the NHS. I thought 'just suck it up and see' but after a little while I just found it was just becoming more and more expensive. "It isn't a lifestyle choice, it is a need." Despite saying the card was "fantastic" she said the amount she got was only "scratching the surface" of rising costs for everybody, especially coeliacs. Bethan Williams, 24, from Cardiff, said prescriptions did not work for her as the food was low quality. As a vegetarian, she said the cash cards could give people with additional dietary needs the freedom to make healthy choices. "I am in a good position that I can afford the higher quality bread but that is not the case for all people," she said. "Eating food and being able to eat a balanced diet isn't a privilege, it's something everyone should be entitled to." For businesses such as Plumvanilla Cafe and deli in Narberth, which accepts the cash card, making sure they can serve the community's needs is becoming more necessary. Gemma Beere, who works at the cafe, said: "We've noticed more and more people shopping with gluten-free requirements so we like to keep a big stock." But she added it was a challenge balancing stocking the shelves with the high cost items and making sure nothing goes to waste. Miles said the move would cut "administrative burdens on GPs and pharmacies". He added: "For people living with coeliac disease, following a strict gluten-free diet is not a lifestyle choice but a medical necessity. "We want to de-medicalise the supply of gluten-free foods in Wales, giving people more freedom to access the food they want to eat, more conveniently, to help them to manage their condition." Tristen Humphreys from Coeliac UK said: "We need to recognise that a gluten-free diet is the treatment for coeliac disease, it's a serious autoimmune disease not a lifestyle choice – we want that recognised." He added supporting people's diets would help prevent health complications down the line and was "cost efficient" for the NHS and called on other UK nations to follow suit. Additional reporting by Sara Dafydd