2024-09-10 03:25:02
Catherine, Princess of Wales, said Monday she has finished her chemotherapy treatment after she announced she had been diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
“As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” she says in a video posted on X. “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.”
The former Kate Middleton describes the cancer journey as “complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you.”
“With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything,” she says.
Kate adds that this time has reminded her and her husband, Prince William, “to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted.”
Her focus is now on doing what she can to stay cancer-free, she says.
“Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” Kate says.
Kate adds she’s looking forward to being back at work and undertaking “a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.”
“Despite all that has gone before I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life,” she says. “William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time. Everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling.”
She then adds a message to those going through their own cancer journeys: “I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.”
Kate announced in a video message in March she had been diagnosed with cancer after she underwent a planned abdominal surgery in January. She did not specify what type of cancer she had been diagnosed with.
“At the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous,” she said in the video. “The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present.”
Kate described the diagnosis as a “huge shock” for her and William, and that they hoped to “manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”
“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment,” she said. “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 OK.”
Kate made her first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis in June at Trooping the Colour, the annual celebration of the monarch’s birthday.
The princess rode in a carriage with her three children, George, 11, Charlotte, 9, and Louis, 6, and later was seen standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with her family.
In July, Kate attended Wimbledon with her daughter, Charlotte, to watch Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles final. When she arrived to the Royal Box at Centre Court, she received a standing ovation from the crowd.
In August, she appeared in a video celebrating Team Great Britain at the 2024 Olympics, and was spotted at Crathie Kirk, a small church in Scotland, with her husband, King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
