New details have shed light on the severity of Princess Catherine’s cancer battle, as the beloved royal continues her cautious and 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.
(L-R) Prince William, Prince Louis, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Princess Catherine on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour 2025 on June 14, 2025 in London, England. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
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.
Prince William, Princess Kate release joint message after health ‘panic’
The Prince and Princess of Wales join King Charles to mark key event
Prince William and Princess Kate joined forces with King Charles to mark a key event in a newly released video.
On June 28, Kensington Palace released a captivating video featuring old clips of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ engagements with the armed forces.
The royal couple wrote, “Proud to mark Armed Forces Day.”
“Thank you to everyone serving in the British Armed Forces, and to all veterans, for your courage, dedication and sacrifice.”
Notably, the future King and Queen’s new joint post came after Catherine’s last-minute withdrawal from Royal Ascot 2025 created ‘panic’ among Palace’s aides.
An insider told the Daily Beast that Princess Kate’s absence from a significant royal gathering left the royal aides “bewildered and worried.”
The source claimed that the “rumours had briefly swirled around the palace that the future queen had been taken unwell and either needed to see a doctor or had been rushed to the hospital.”
However, Catherine returned to royal engagements behind the scenes, seemingly dismissing the growing speculations as she was in remission from cancer.
Prince William and Princess Kate Just Made a Big Decision About Prince George’s Future
His destiny might already be mapped out, but Prince George has a few important things to do before he gets there
There are not many tweens who can tell you how their life is going to play out, but then again, Prince George is no ordinary child. The second-in-line to the throne, who will be turning 12 in July, has reportedly known about his destiny since he was 7 years old. And he is already stepping up and taking on some royal responsibilities, outside the group family dynamic that has largely dominated his royal interactions so far. Case in point: In May, Prince George hosted his first solo engagement, a tea party for veterans for VE Day.
William and Catherine have been careful to parent in a loving and nurturing way, giving him the most normal upbringing possibly under the circumstances. But George’s role as the eventual king of England is still at the forefront of their minds, and now they’ve made a big decision—one that will significantly affect his future.
Read on to find out what’s going on in the Wales household and what’s in store for Prince George.
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What decision have William and Kate made about Prince George’s future?
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William and Kate have chosen where Prince George will attend secondary school, and the winning choice is—drumroll, please—Eton. While the Palace has not formally confirmed it, “all roads lead to Eton,” according to the Daily Mail.
According to the British tabloid, there’s a “smugness” about the upcoming announcement from the prestigious all-boys school located in Windsor. “It was like, ‘I know something, and the people at Eton know something, but I’m not going to tell you,’” an insider said.
Prince George was spotted visiting the school with his parents in 2023, and while the decision was only just revealed (well, sort of), it was likely made a while ago. According to the school’s website, students must register before June 30 of the school year when the boy turns 10, and parents have to accept a conditional offer “by the end of March in Year 7.” That was this past March for George. School admissions then require students to sit an entrance exam in Year 8, although it’s not clear if George would have to do that.
What is Eton, exactly?
Technically called Eton College, the school isn’t actually a college as Americans would think of it. Of course, George is only 12, and he’s not Doogie Howser! Instead, it’s a very formal-sounding name for a very prestigious British secondary school, aka middle school and high school, that costs a pretty penny (er, pound?): Yearly fees are £63,000 ($87,000), which includes tuition, board, lodging and activities.
And the all-boys school has a royal history: It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI and has turned out politicians and leaders ever since. Around 20 British prime ministers went to Eton, including Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, David Cameron and Boris Johnson, as well as authors Ian Fleming and George Orwell and actors Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston.
It’s also famous for its distinctive uniform, called School Dress. Students sport a black tailcoat, waistcoat and pinstriped trousers, as if going to a royal wedding.
Is this decision a surprise?
Yes and no. We’ve known that William and Kate have been looking at schools for some time, and Eton was always a top contender. After all, Prince William himself attended as well back in the day! That said, some experts speculated that the family might choose a co-ed school, so Princess Charlotte could attend the same school as her brothers.
The choice was reportedly between Eton and Marlborough College, Wiltshire, a co-ed boarding school where Catherine went. Another school the Wales’s reportedly looked at was co-ed Oundle School, Northamptonshire, which is not far from their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. But Eton won out in the end.
When will Prince George be attending?
Not for another year. He will start at Eton in September 2026, when he is 13. George currently attends Lambrook School in Berkshire, with Charlotte, 10, and Louis, 7. While state secondary schools in the U.K. start at age 11, private schools typically enroll students at 13.
Will George be boarding at Eton?
Yes. Eton is a full boarding school, which means it doesn’t accept day pupils—even royal ones! Boys are placed in small boarding houses of around 50 pupils with their own “House Master” and “Dame,” and each student has his own bedroom, encouraging him to become independent. “Nurturing individuality and yet understanding and appreciating the differences of others is a central tenet of Eton’s philosophy,” according to the school’s website.
That said, even though the prince won’t be able to pop home at night, he will be able to see his family on Sundays and some set weekends. And it will be super easy to do so since Eton is actually opposite Windsor Castle and just a short distance from their home, Adelaide Cottage. It’s so close to the castle, in fact, that William used to have Sunday lunch with Queen Elizabeth when he was a schoolboy.
Where did the other royals go to school?
Both William and Harry went to Eton, but it’s only a relatively recent development that royal heirs attended school at all. Queen Elizabeth was taught by a governess, but when she was 13 and World War II was underway, Sir Henry Marten, vice-provost of Eton, would cycle to Windsor Castle to give her lessons. Later, she would visit him in his chaotic study, full of piles of books and a pet raven who pecked his ear. “This wizard’s cave was the closest that the future queen ever came to going to school,” writes biographer Robert Lacey in Royal, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Here’s where the other royals went to school:
- King Charles: Gordonstoun in Scotland. This was his Prince Philip’s alma mater, but Charles hated it and called it a “hell-hole” and his time there a “prison sentence.” Dramatic much, Charles? At any rate, he did become head boy.
- Princess Diana: West Heath Girls’ School in Kent. Despite later becoming a kindergarten teacher, she says she didn’t excel academically at West Heath, later joking she was “thick as a plank.” Her brother, Earl Spencer, also went to Eton.
- Catherine, Princess of Wales: Marlborough College in Wiltshire. She was captain of the school’s field hockey team.
- Princess Beatrice: St George’s School in Ascot. She was diagnosed with dyslexia there and also made head girl.
- Princess Eugenie: Marlborough College. Yep, the same one Kate attended, though not at the same time. (Kate is a few years older than Eugenie.)
It’s Official: Princess Kate and Prince William Are About to Gain an Exciting New Royal Power in 2026
Prince William and Princess Kate have just reached a major milestone on their paths to becoming the future King and Queen. On Monday, June 30, it was announced that King Charles has given the Prince and Princess of Wales the ability to grant royal warrants next year—and the move comes after it was reported this spring that the privilege was being “postponed,” perhaps for years.
Essentially, a royal warrant is a stamp of approval for a company and is granted by select members of the Royal Family to their favorite businesses. This means William and Kate can honor their go-to fashion and beauty brands, food retailers, department stores or any other company they choose—and the impact for receiving a warrant is huge.
“A Royal Warrant of Appointment is a document that permits a company to use the Royal Arms in connection with its business,” per the Royal Family’s official website. “It is granted for up to five years at a time as a mark of recognition for the ongoing supply of goods or services traded with and used by the Households of HM The King and HM The Queen.”
The move is also a historically significant one, as Kate will become the first Princess of Wales to grant royal warrants in 115 years—Mary of Teck was the last Princess of Wales to have the honor in 1910.
Who might receive the coveted stamp of approval? Just look to Kate’s closet. For nearly 15 years, the Kate Effect has ensured that whatever the royal wears swiftly sells out—and a company being able to include the official royal coat of arms on its products would only make sales skyrocket.
Princess Kate’s wedding dress designer and longtime go-to British label, Alexander McQueen, is a shoo-in for a warrant, along with designers like Catherine Walker, also a favorite of the late Princess Diana. Jeweler Kiki McDonough—who recently shared her memories of Diana with Marie Claire—is surely in consideration as well.
The Princess of Wales has long been a fan of Mulberry handbags, and Scottish label Strathberry is another royally approved bag brand that just might be on the potential warrant list. And let’s not forget British heritage brand Holland Cooper—the label’s sweaters, blazers and tailored wool coats have been a staple in Kate’s wardrobe in recent years.
Kate Middleton Is the First Princess of Wales to Undertake This Prestigious Royal Duty in 115 Years
Not even Princess Diana, another famous Princess of Wales, had the chance to do this.
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Kate Middleton and Prince William are taking a major step forward as senior royals.
News broke late on June 30 that the Prince and Princess of Wales will be able to grant Royal Warrants—which, in layman’s terms, are the royal seal of approval for goods and services—beginning in 2026.
The palace confirmed that the couple will issue their first Royal Warrants next year, with Ian Patrick—private secretary to William—saying (per Hello!), “Their Royal Highnesses are delighted to be able to recognize and celebrate British industry, creativity, and skills through the granting of Warrants.”
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In this move, Kate will become the first Princess of Wales to grant Royal Warrants since Princess Mary of Teck did so in 1910—115 years ago. (Princess Diana never granted Warrants during her own time as Princess of Wales in the 1980s and 1990s.) Whichever brands get Kate’s seal of approval will no doubt reap the benefits—ever since the day her engagement to William was announced on November 16, 2010, the so-called “Kate Middleton Effect” has been in full force, from the sapphire blue Issa wrap dress she wore that day up to the present.
“The princess’s decision to back a certain brand or firm will likely generate a huge amount of business and publicity for them,” Hello! reported.
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King Charles and Queen Camilla granted Royal Warrants to more than 140 companies last year that already had existing Warrants, and then later issued a further 400 Warrants towards the end of the year. Warrants are given for up to five years at a time as a mark of recognition for supplying goods and services to members of the royal family or to the Royal Household, and having a Royal Warrant allows companies to use the royal coat of arms on its products, packaging, stationary, and the like.
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Recipients of a coveted Royal Warrant from the Princess of Wales will likely be a number of fashion houses, like Catherine Walker, Jenny Packham, Alexander McQueen, and Erdem. She’ll also likely honor jewelers whose pieces she often wears, like Kiki McDonough, Robinson Pelham, and Catherine Zoraida.
Prince William’s touching vow to Kate during secret getaway revealed
Later that year, William, now 43, took Kate, also 43, on a discreet holiday to Desroches, an island in the Seychelles.
The couple reportedly checked into their resort under the names Martin and Rosemary Middleton to avoid attention and protect their privacy.
A quiet but significant promise
© GettyAccording to royal correspondent Katie Nicholl, the trip marked an important moment for William and Kate.
Writing in her book The Making of a Royal Romance, Katie revealed that the couple used the holiday to rebuild and solidify their future.
She wrote: “William, who had inherited something of his father’s fear of commitment, knew he would lose Kate if he could not give her some form of guarantee.”
Not yet marriage, but a commitment
© GettyRather than proposing there and then, William made a private pact to Kate that reassured her of his intentions.
Quoting a member of the couple’s inner circle, Katie continued: “They didn’t agree to get married there and then; what they made was a pact.”
She added: “William told Kate she was the one, but he was not ready to get married. He promised her his commitment and said he would not let her down, and in turn she agreed to wait for him.”
Life after the pact
© GettyThe couple continued their relationship with renewed trust, and three years later, William proposed to Kate during a trip to Kenya.
The couple shared the news publicly in November 2010. They were married the following year at Westminster Abbey.
Despite the couple having spoken about marriage, Kate admitted in their 2010 engagement interview that she was still surprised by the proposal.
She said: “It was a total shock when it came. There’s a true romantic in there.”
William’s version
© GettyWilliam confirmed in the same interview with ITV that the proposal wasn’t entirely unexpected but still special.
He said: “We’d been talking about marriage for a while, so it wasn’t a massively big surprise, but I took her up somewhere nice in Kenya, and I proposed.”
The couple first met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. They became friends before dating in the early 2000s.
Their relationship was tested several times under media attention, with the 2007 break-up seen as a key turning point.
Still strong 14 years on
© ShutterstockWilliam and Kate have now been married for over 14 years and share three children: Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.
They continue to work together publicly as senior members of the royal family.
Though the holiday and secret pact happened years ago, fans continue to reflect on the strength of William and Kate’s bond.
The private promise shared on a remote island became the foundation for one of the most high-profile marriages in the world.
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