The Princess of Wales says her recovery from cancer continues to be uneven, describing “good days and bad days” in a new interview with Country Life published Tuesday.
Kate Middleton, 44, said she was told in the hospital that her recovery “would not be linear” and that “it will take time.” She drew a comparison to the natural world, saying, “Periods of rest, reflection and renewal are equally as important as moments of growth.”
Middleton praised the outdoors as a “restorative environment” for people going through illness.
“Humans have always turned to nature. Whether it is the beach for healing and recovery, the countryside for peace and perspective or the mountains to find solitude, people have long sought comfort in the natural world. … Incorporating nature into someone’s recovery pathway is vital.”
Asked how she held onto hope during what she called her “darkest time,” Middleton said she reminded herself, “We are not alone and that we’re interconnected with something bigger than ourselves.”
Timeline of her illness
Middleton announced her cancer diagnosis publicly in March 2024, two months after undergoing abdominal surgery that had already drawn widespread attention. By September 2024, she had finished chemotherapy and announced she was cancer-free.
At the time, she cautioned that full recovery would take longer. “My path to healing and full recovery is long,” she said. “I must continue to take each day as it comes. I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.”
She also described the toll the ordeal took on her family — husband Prince William and their three children, Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8 — calling the health crisis “complex, scary and unpredictable” and “incredibly tough” on them.
“This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted,” she wrote on Instagram.
Earlier this year, Middleton posted a lengthy Instagram message describing “moments of fear and exhaustion” during treatment, alongside “moments of strength, kindness and profound connection.”
Prince William, also 44, said in an October 2025 appearance on “The Reluctant Traveler” that his wife’s diagnosis sent him to “some pretty not-great places” mentally, though he told viewers, “Everything is progressing in the right way.”
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