In March 2024, Princess Catherine of Wales shockingly revealed her cancer diagnosis, discovered following major abdominal surgery months prior.
Initially, doctors believed her condition to be non-cancerous. Tests after the operation found cancer was present, and Princess Catherine’s preventative chemotherapy began.
Now, more than two years after this announcement video, the Princess of Wales is in remission and has returned to her royal duties. But the impacts of battling cancer lingers with her.
On World Cancer Day 2026, Princess Catherine shared her love.
“Cancer touches so many lives. Not only patients, but the families and friends and caregivers who walk beside them,” she shared in a heartwarming video message.
“As anyone who has experienced this journey will know, it’s not linear. There are moments of fear and exhaustion. But also moments of strength, kindness, and profound connection.
“Please know you are not alone.”
Below, The Weekly delves into her cancer journey, including everything Princess Catherine has said about her battle.
Entering Remission
Following a visit to The Royal Marsden, the hospital that first diagnosed and treated her cancer, Princess Catherine revealed she had entered remission.
However, she was still adjusting to her “new normal.”
“It is a relief to now be in remission, and I remain focused on recovery. As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal,” Catherine shared on January 14, 2025.
“I am, however, looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.”
Princess Catherine finished chemotherapy in September 2024 and was “doing what I can to stay cancer-free.” In a video shared by Kensington Palace, the Princess walked through the countryside with Prince William and their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.
“As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” Catherine said. “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family.”
The Battle After
She put on a “brave face” during the treatment, but Princess Catherine wasn’t prepared for the challenges after her cancer battle.
While visiting the Colchester Hospital in July 2025, she shared, “The phase afterwards is really 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.”
“But it’s life-changing for anyone, through first diagnosis or post-treatment and things like that, it is a life-changing experience both for the patient but also for the families as well.
“And actually, it sometimes goes unrecognised, you don’t necessarily, particularly when it’s the first time, appreciate how much impact it is going to have.
Tough Conversations
Despite the difficult conversations around cancer, the Prince and Princess of Wales have decided to remain honest with their children.
“Every family has its own difficulties and its own challenges,” Prince William said in an interview with Luciano Huck amid the Brazil Earthshot Prize Awards. “I think it’s very individual and sort of moment-dependent as to how you deal with those problems.
“We choose to communicate a lot more with our children. Now that has good things and bad things. Sometimes you feel you’re oversharing with the children. You probably shouldn’t, but most of the time, hiding stuff from them doesn’t work.
“There are no answers. But it’s always a balancing act to me that every parent knows that it’s kind of: ‘How much do I say? What do I say? When do I say?’ And you know, there’s no manual for being a parent. You’ve just got to go with a bit of instinct,” he said.”
The news of Catherine’s diagnosis was understandably a huge shock to the family, with the Princess revealing how they approached their children during her announcement video in March 2024.
“This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” Catherine said.
“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be okay.”
Encouraging others and sharing in their struggle
Princess Catherine visited The Christie in Manchester to meet with cancer patients and spent time talking to them about their own cancer journeys and with staff.
Catherine wrote a statement on her social media to thank The Christie and those who spoke with her.
“Thank you to everyone at The Christie for such a moving visit today.
Meeting patients, families and staff was a powerful reminder that healing is about so much more than treatment alone. A cancer diagnosis affects every part of life, in mind, body and the deeper part of ourselves. The way we process fear, uncertainty and change is deeply personal.
The Christie’s commitment to holistic care, from art therapy and wellbeing spaces to emotional and spiritual support, helps people navigate not only illness, but the profound impact it can have on quality of life. These services empower patients to play an active role in their recovery and wellbeing, reminding us that care should always be centred on the whole person.
Thank you for sharing your stories with me, and for the compassion, creativity and dedication shown every day across the hospital.
C”
She also witnessed and celebrated with a patient who rang the bell to signal she had beaten cancer.
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