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‘IT WILL TAKE TIME’

Kate Middleton Reveals What Got Her Through Her Cancer Battle

The Princess of Wales said one thing helped her through “difficult” times in particular.

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend a ceremonial welcome for The President and the First Lady of the Republic of Korea at Horse Guards Parade on November 21, 2023, in London, England.

Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage


Catherine, Princess of Wales, is opening up about her recovery from cancer in a rare interview for an issue of the British magazine Country Life, guest-edited by her husband, Prince William.

Princess Kate shocked the world in January 2024 when she released a video squashing weeks of fevered speculation about the state of her health and her marriage to William, and revealed she was battling cancer. She said she was in remission in January 2025.

Middleton, 44, revealed to Country Life that she was told in the hospital that her “recovery would not be linear” and that “there will be good days and bad days, that it will take time.”

“This is the same in nature,” she said. “It shows us that periods of rest, reflection and renewal are equally as important as moments of growth.”

Kate Middleton said time in nature became her “sanctuary” during her cancer battle.

Kate Middleton said time in nature became her “sanctuary” during her cancer battle.

Josh Shinner/Kensington Palace

She was interviewed for the magazine, published on Wednesday, by Robert Macfarlane, a bestselling British nature writer. When he asked her where she finds hope, she said it was in the “lessons nature teaches.”

“In difficult moments especially, nature can help us reconnect with ourselves and with the things that matter most,” she said. “It reminds us that we’re part of something larger than our immediate worries and challenges.”

In her interview, Kate Middleton reflected on the “lessons nature teaches.”

In her interview, Kate Middleton reflected on the “lessons nature teaches.”

Josh Shinner/Kensington Palace

“Nature has allowed me to find a deeper connection to my mind, body, and spirit,” Princess Kate said. “I think that’s because nature offers something unique. It doesn’t ask anything of us. It doesn’t judge us or expect us to perform. It simply allows us to be. It really has been my sanctuary and a place I’ve instinctively wanted to go.”​

She added, “Having a sense of connection, trusted people around you and places where you feel at peace can be incredibly important during difficult times.”​

Middleton has previously spoken about the healing power of nature. In July 2024, she wrote, “I know the power of nature to support our development and wellbeing, both by bringing us joy and helping to keep us physically, mentally and spiritually healthy.”

Kate Middleton celebrated the occasion with earrings that her parents had given her for her wedding day.

Kate Middleton in June 2025.

Chris Jackson/Pool via Reuters

Catherine made a video revealing her diagnosis in March 2024. She said that she had undergone “major abdominal surgery” in London in January, after which the doctors told her she had cancer.

She was in the early stages of having preventive chemotherapy, which began in February of that year, and said she had needed to take time away from the public life to explain her condition to her three children: Prince George, 13; Princess Charlotte, 11; and Prince Louis, 8.

Britain's King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate, Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade to honour Britain's King Charles, as part of the official birthday celebrations, in London, Britain, June 13, 2026. REUTERS/Chris J. Ratcliffe

Queen Camilla, King Charles, Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in June 2026.

Chris J. Ratcliffe/Reuters

In January 2025, Kate announced she was in remission after a “complex” and “scary” journey.

“I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” she wrote. “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant, and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.”

Kate Middleton photographed September 2025.

Kate Middleton announced in January 2025 that she was in remission. Pictured here in September of that year.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

In Country Life this week, Middleton also shared her parenting strategy for her children, saying she wanted to give them “freedom to explore, rather than constantly telling them what to see or what to think.” ​

William, 44, wrote the magazine’s leader column, writing that “the places you love best are not the ones you preserve unchanged, but the ones you keep quietly improving.”

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