'To hell and back': Palace insiders reveal Princess Catherine was 'fortunate to survive' cancer battle as she continues gradual return to public life
Princess Catherine is easing back into royal duties following a deeply private battle with an undisclosed form of cancer- one palace sources say she was fortunate to survive.
The Princess of Wales, 43, underwent preventative chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital after receiving a cancer diagnosis in the wake of planned abdominal surgery in January 2024.
She publicly revealed the diagnosis in March, and according to palace insiders, completed her treatment in September.
While the exact type of cancer has not been disclosed, the princess has said she remains focused on healing and returning to work at her own pace.
However, her sudden absence from Royal Ascot last week has renewed public interest in her health, with Daily Mail royal editor Rebecca English reporting that her recovery is still very much "a work in progress".
"Everyone I have spoken to has pointed out that it's easy to forget- given her starring role at this month's Trooping the Colour ceremony, and appearances at the Order of the Garter and the new V&A storehouse- that this time last year Catherine was undergoing chemotherapy," English said on Tuesday.
As part of Catherine's treatment, a semi-permanent port was inserted into her chest to allow chemotherapy drugs to be administered directly through a needle and thin tube into a vein near her heart.
"On some levels I actually think this is a good reminder that she was really seriously ill last year and underwent a significant period of chemo," one source told English.
"As anyone who has been through that experience will tell you, you can feel very unwell for a long time afterwards. It can take years (to recover)."
English also noted that the mother-of-three "was seriously unwell in the run-up to her surgery in the first place" and had gone "to hell and back" over the course of her illness.
"And while that is a story only for her to tell, if she ever chooses to do so, I can say that, from what I understand, she is fortunate to even be speaking of recovery," English said.
"So, while she may be glowing on the outside, the drama over her last-minute non-attendance at Royal Ascot last week is, perhaps, a timely reminder that the princess was really very poorly not so long ago."
While Catherine is not expected to appear in public this week, she is likely to attend Wimbledon, which begins on Monday, in her role as royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
She is also due to play a "significant" role in next month's French State Visit at Windsor Castle, where she will take part in official welcome events for President Emmanuel Macron.
Following those engagements, Catherine and Prince William are expected to spend the summer at Anmer Hall, their beloved Georgian country residence on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, enjoying family time with their three children, George, 11, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, seven.
The family is also expected to join King Charles III and other senior royals at Balmoral in August.
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