True extent of Princess Kate's cancer battle revealed
On June 15 last year Kate, The Princess of Wales really put the 'trooper' into Trooping the Colour and appeared at the annual celebration of the sovereign's birthday, despite being in the middle of chemotherapy.
She wore a suitably formal hat and waved with her signature aplomb. But what no one knew at the time was that underneath her Jenny Packham dress there was a port in her chest.
A port is a medical device used to draw blood and give treatments, including intravenous fluids, blood transfusions, or drugs such as chemotherapy and antibiotics.
Now, new details have come out about how 'serious' the princess' 2024 health battle was with it being claimed she 'is fortunate' to have survived.
Holy hell.
Buckle up - the word 'serious' is going to appear in this story a lot.
Until now, the severity of Kate's 2024 fight has never been revealed, with details hither too thin to the point of non-existence.
Kensington Palace has remained firmly tight-lipped about what sort of cancer she had and it was only in January that the world learnt she had been a patient at Chelsea's Royal Marsden Hospital.
The Princess of Wales revealed she had cancer. Picture: Danny Lawson / POOL / AFP
(During an emotional visit there in January she talked about the 'secrecy' of her treatment and having to use side doors for 'so many quiet visits'.)
Kate at Trooping in 2024 might have looked as we have always seen her - perfectly turned out and doing some Olympic-level smiling but behind the scenes, she was reportedly going 'to hell and back'.
On Tuesday the Daily Mail's royal editor Rebecca English published a shocking report offering details about what the princess was privately enduring.
Even before the dreaded 'c' word entered the picture, per English, the mother-of-three was 'seriously unwell' in the 'run-up' to having 'serious' abdominal surgery in January.
In March, as Kate herself announced that testing 'after the operation found cancer' and that she was having chemotherapy.
And then comes a bit of a blank in the Kate story. It would be six months before she and husband Prince William and their kids filmed a dreamy video meditation on life, love and the healing power of family and a nice old gnarled oak, in which she announced she had finished her treatment.
Kate pictured earlier this month. Picture: Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP
The Mail's new report offers details about those mystery months and the severity of what Kate faced.
According to English, when she began treatment last year, she 'was fitted with a semi- permanent 'port' into her chest.
'This small device was inserted under the skin and kept in place until her treatment (delivered via the port through a special needle and a thin tube in vein close to the heart) was over, several weeks later.'
It was, the veteran royal editor writes, 'a literal lifeline - which offers no cast-iron guarantee of success, even if you are a royal.'
The princess, per English 'is fortunate to even be speaking of recovery' today.
The severity of Kate's illness has not been detailed before.
This startling new report comes a week after the princess reportedly triggered 'chaos' and 'panic' inside the palace after pulling out of Ascot only half an hour before she was set to arrive at the generally set-down-in-stone event.
William and Kate posted a video ton social media. Picture: Instagram
Royal staffers, The Daily Beast's Tom Sykes reported, were left 'bewildered and worried' by the dramatic change with rumours briefly swirling around that Kate 'either needed to see a doctor or had been rushed to the hospital.'
The Princess of Wales' withdrawing from the event, a source told English on Tuesday, 'is a good reminder that she was really seriously ill last year and underwent a significant period of chemo…It can take years [to recover]'.
Similarly a 'well-connected' source has told the Beast's Sykes that the Ascot mini-debacle was 'a wake-up call, not a one-off' and that Kate 'is recalibrating her entire life' after a 'horrific' few years.
What that practically means is that Kate is 'expected Kate to dramatically scale back her public appearances for the rest of the year,' per the Beast.
The world was shocked after Kate revealed what she had been going through. Picture: Supplied
Expect the princess to be seen at Wimbledon, starting June 30, and during the French state visit in July, but we could be in for a very Kate-lite year.
English reports that while an overseas tour 'cannot entirely be ruled out' it seems unlikely.
In November Willliam will be off to Rio de Janeiro for his Earthshot Prize awards but he could well be travelling solo.
The princess possibly going is officially still 'TBC', she reports, 'but my gut feeling is probably not.'
As English reported earlier this year, the Princess of Wales has 'been to hell and back'.
But what has become clear in the wake of the Ascot mess is that there is 'back' and there is 'back'.
The story was all over the globe. Picture: Supplied
How long until the princess is ready to return to anything like per-cancer workload is the great unknown.
We will next see her courtside at All England Lawn Tennis Club and after that toasting the Macrons but after that, the next Queen is set for a hopefully unbothered Wordsworthian summer stint in Norfolk and Scotland of long walks and lounging about in appropriately elasticised trousers.
Daniela Elser is a writer, editor and commentator with more than 15 years' experience working with Australia's leading media titles.
Originally published as True extent of Kate's cancer battle revealed
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Courier-Mail
3 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Waking from weird nightmares? You might need to cut this from your diet
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. The theories about food's impact on our sleep are never-ending, but new research suggests this snack could be fueling your nightmares. If you're constantly waking up surprised by how bizarre your nightmares are, shocking your friends with perfectly dramatised voicenotes of your night running through a hellscape, or have been told more than once that your subconscious' nighttime escapades could make for a great blockbuster movie, you may want to look at your diet. Researchers in Canada have done a deep dive on the causes of weird dreams, and sadly, one of our favourite snacks is listed as a possible culprit. You may need to leave the cheese in the fridge before bed if you want to sleep soundly. X SUBSCRIBER ONLY How does cheese impact your dreams? 1082 people participated in the study to try to assess how food affects people's dreams. While you'd be hard pressed to find them as listed symptoms of food intolerances, the article tied worse perceived sleep to lactose intolerance. Studies and wivestales have linked cheese to poor sleep before, with the researchers referencing a 20th-century cartoon series where characters blamed their bizarre dreams on 'having eaten Welsh rarebit — a spicy melted cheese toast — or other cheese dishes prior to sleep.'' In a previous study, the team had seen people 'blaming cheese all the time for their bad dreams'. Image: Pexels In a previous study, the team had seen people 'blaming cheese all the time for their bad dreams', but co-author Tore Nielsen told NBC News, 'I think we got some better answers in the study for that.' 21 per cent of participants reported changes to their dreams after eating dairy, and 22 per cent said their dreams were more disturbing after consuming the milk-based products. And after measuring the frequency, level of distress and impact on daily life of their nightmares, the team determined that those who had severe gastrointestinal symptoms from lactose intolerance had more intense nightmares. According to the study, food allergies and gluten intolerance could also play a part in our bad dreams. Image: iStock Nielsen suggested that the anxiety that comes with symptoms could contribute to the frequency of nightmares, while associate professor of neurology at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Patrick McNamara said people with lactose intolerance who eat triggering foods could have their sleep disturbed by 'micro-arousals', which could contribute to worse nightmares. Other foods that could bring on bad dreams It's not just cheese, milk and ice cream triggering your most insane, hard-to-follow nightmares either. According to the study, food allergies and gluten intolerance could also play a part in our bad dreams. Dairy, gluten and sweets were linked to nightmares. Image: iStock More than a quarter of participants noted that eating desserts or sweets triggered dreams and a worse night's sleep too. The research team concluded that ''the frequency of dream recall was associated with indicators of healthy eating, i.e., higher scores on a subscale of the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 and less frequent eating in the evening'. 'While both negative emotional tone of dreams and (measured) nightmare severity… were associated with unhealthy indicators, i.e., combinations of Lactose Intolerance, GI symptoms, less reliance on hunger and satiety cues, and a tendency to eat in the evening.' Originally published as Waking from weird nightmares? You might need to cut this from your diet
Sky News AU
5 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Kate's 'unprecedented burst of personal openness' toward cancer sufferers at Colchester Hospital shows why she's so wildly popular
In an unprecedented burst of personal openness, the Princess of Wales has spoken publicly about her fight with cancer. During a visit to a cancer treatment centre at Colchester Hospital in Essex in England, the 43-year- old future Queen met fellow cancer patients and said that her own struggle with the disease had been 'a roller coaster' with setbacks as well as progress. Kate was first diagnosed with the disease in March last year and underwent a course of chemotherapy before announcing that her cancer was in remission this January. But fears about Kate's health were renewed last month when she cancelled a scheduled appearance at a high society horse racing meeting at Ascot near London at the last minute. Her visit to the Colchester hospital and sharing reassuring news of her health, will be welcomed by her large fan base who were worried by her unexplained 'no show' at Royal Ascot. Discussing her treatment with other cancer patients Kate said: 'You put on a brave face, sort of stoicism , treatment done. Then it's like 'I can crack on, get back to normal' but actually the next phase is really, really difficult.' Whatever their views of the monarchy, Princess Kate is wildly popular among the general public in Britain and is widely thought to hold the future of the institution in her hands. In stark contrast to other members of the Royal family, Kate, who has three children with her husband Prince William, is credited with never putting a foot wrong since her romance with the heir to the throne began when they were students at St Andrew's University in Scotland. They married at Westminster Abbey in 2011. Her popularity meant that there was intense anxiety when she was diagnosed with a disease which afflicts millions of Britons and is the biggest cause of premature deaths along with cardiovascular conditions like heart attacks and strokes. The humbly born Kate (her mother Carol Middleton once worked as an air hostess 'trolley dolly') has been praised for her grace and modest style - the polar opposite of the attention grabbing antics of her sister-in-law Meghan Markle, the wife of William's exiled younger brother Prince Harry. The anxiety with which her fans have followed the progress of Kate's treatment was made all the more acute by the fact that her father-in-law King Charles was also diagnosed with cancer at the same time as her - and is still undergoing treatment. Neither Kate, nor the 76-year-old King have disclosed exactly what form of cancer they are suffering from , but Kate's latest sharing of news of her progress is a welcome step forward for an institution that is traditionally reticent about the health of the Royals. A cancer diagnosis is a serious matter for anyone , and Kate's honesty about her struggle with the life-threatening condition will give a shot of hope and optimism to all those who are in a similar position to her. It proves that neither wealth, Royal rank nor privileges can provide protection against a disease that has been called the 'plague of our age'.
Perth Now
11 hours ago
- Perth Now
Swimming great ‘wanted to end it all'. Three words saved her
Australian swimming great Leisel Jones has revealed she is struggling with high-functioning depression and the 'dark moment' she contemplated taking her own life just days ago. In an emotional and vulnerable post on social media, the three-time Olympic gold medal winner shared the three powerful words that kept her alive when she 'wanted to end it all'. On Wednesday, Jones posted two photos, the first of her sitting on stairs with her tear-stained face in her hand, the second was of her in an elevator after an hour-long walk along the beach. 'Stay until tomorrow', she wrote, was one of her favourite sayings. 'Yesterday was one of my worst days and I wanted to end it all. I think I have been battling high functioning depression for a little while now and have just gone back to work with a psych. In the dark moments I promise myself to just stay until tomorrow and it's amazing what the next day can bring.' She revealed that just 24 hours later she had a far better day. 'Today was spectacular. I had some free time after work and went on an hour long walk along the beach. No goals. No plans. Just enjoy the sunshine and the view. I was really missing my walking buddy @iammeagennay but walking by myself was enough. It changed my whole perspective on things. 'So if life has felt like a kick in the c..t lately, promise me you'll stay until tomorrow.' If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Jones' candid words have been praised by Lifeline Australia, which commented on her post to say that her revelation could help many others struggling with depression. 'Thank you for your vulnerability and courage in sharing this, Leisel. Your words will no doubt bring comfort to many who are quietly battling their own struggles. Lifeline is always here for you.' Leisel Jones with the Olympic gold medal for the women's 100m breaststroke in Beijing in 2008. Credit: Julian Finney / Getty Images Jones' celebrity friends were also quick to show their support. Fellow swimmer Giaan Rooney wrote, 'This post will help so many others darling, but just as importantly, I hope it helps you see how truly loved you are, how the world is a better place for having you in it & how many are in your corner - so much love to you always.' Comedian Dave Hughes agreed that a beach walk could do wonders. 'Australia loves you, but that doesn't matter. You loving life is all that matters. But not even that. Let's just be still.' Peter Helliar also offered his perspective, writing that sometimes noticing the little things could make you feel better. 'Even tiny things like the way opening curtains to let light in your room can feel, the way fresh air can rejuvenate, seeing a friend,' he wrote. 'We spend time waiting for big life changing moments but there are so many tiny life affirming moments around us everyday. I'm trying hard to recognise how those moments make me feel. Thanks for sharing and I hope you continue to find your moments.' Leisel Jones wins the women's 100m breaststroke at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Credit: Michael Wilson / WA News Jones was the first Australian swimmer to attend four Olympic Games, launching her spectacular career at just 15 at the Sydney Olympics and then going to the 2004 Athens Olympics, where she was part of the gold-medal winning women's 4x100m relay. She also won gold for the 100m breaststroke and the 4x100 medley relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and had a glittering career that included many other swimming achievements. Since retiring from the pool she has become an author and media commentator. Lifeline: 13 11 14. If you or someone you know needs help, phone SANE Australia Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263).
