Kate Middleton details ‘really, really difficult' post-cancer treatment phase after missing Royal Ascot: ‘It's a rollercoaster'
The Princess of Wales, 43, returned to public duties Wednesday as she visited Colchester Hospital in Essex, England where she spoke candidly with staff and patients.
The beloved royal toured the facility's garden, which has been designed as a thoughtful oasis that staffers, patients and their visitors could enjoy.
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5 Kate Middleton has opened up about her post-cancer treatment phase, saying she's found it 'really, really difficult' to return to her daily routine in full swing.
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While there, the future queen opened up about her own experience under the watchful eye of doctors and nurses, and detailed just how challenging she's found her post-treatment period to be.
'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, really difficult,' the princess said.
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'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.'
Princess Catherine said it's been 'life-changing' to be able to chat through her experience in real-time.
5 The Princess of Wales, 43, returned to public duties Wednesday as she visited Colchester Hospital in Essex, England.
via REUTERS
'And actually, someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment, I think is really valuable,' she went on.
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'You have to find your new normal and that takes time…and it's a rollercoaster, it's not smooth, like you expect it to be. But the reality is you go through hard times.'
Middleton raised fresh health concerns last month after she suddenly pulled out of attending the Royal Ascot at the eleventh hour.
5 The beloved royal chatted candidly with staff and patients during her visit.
via REUTERS
Her last-minute withdrawal from the event suggests she is carefully managing her public appearances after announcing that her cancer was in remission in January.
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The beloved royal has been making a gradual return to public-facing duties in recent weeks.
The mom of three was seen in a striking turquoise ensemble at last month's Trooping the Colour ceremony, during which she appeared on the balcony with her husband, Prince William, and their three children.
5 The future queen detailed just how challenging she's found her post-treatment period to be.
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She also attended the annual Order of the Garter service, followed by a visit to a V&A East Storehouse, a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
It's been a welcome development in her recovery, especially as she had spent much of 2024 behind closed doors.
Her absence from the public eye prompted mass speculation about her whereabouts last year, all of which was silenced with news of her cancer diagnosis.
Looking ahead, Middleton is rumored to attend the Wimbledon tennis championships before joining a 'meet and greet' for a French state visit at Windsor Castle on July 8.
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5 The mom of three announced that her cancer was in remission in January.
BBC
Following that, it's believed that the princess and her family will retreat to Anmer Hall, a 19th-century country house located on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England.
In August, the Waleses will most likely journey to Balmoral to join King Charles and Queen Camilla for their annual summer gathering.
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