A photograph of the Princess of Wales taken by her six-year-old son Prince Louis has been released to mark World Cancer Day on Tuesday.
The image shows Catherine in a frosty woodland scene, arms open and well wrapped up, and was taken in Windsor in recent weeks.
Alongside the photo, the princess posted the words: “Don’t forget to nurture all that which lies beyond the disease.”
The picture is said by Kensington Palace to reflect how spending time in nature has been important to the princess, who announced in January she is in remission from cancer.
This is the first photo taken by Louis that has been shared on royal social media channels as he follows in the footsteps of his mother, who has been an enthusiastic photographer.
At the weekend, Catherine called for a “rebalance” in society to allow people to prioritise their physical and mental health.
She is gradually returning to work after completing her cancer treatment – and launched a new stage in her early years education project encouraging more empathy and kindness.
“At times, it can feel like the world is filled with mistrust and misunderstanding, leaving many people feeling isolated and vulnerable during difficult times,” she wrote in her charity’s report.
She brought a message of support for those currently undergoing cancer treatment when last month she visited the Royal Marsden Hospital in west London, where she had been a patient.
This latest photograph is another indication of her continuing support, ahead of World Cancer Day, and how much she seems to have been motivated to help others by her own experience of ill health.
Kate Middleton Says Her Cancer Is in Remission. Here’s What That Means
After announcing in March 2024 that she had been diagnosed with cancer, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, has again spoken out about her illness—this time, with good news. “It is a relief now to be in remission and I remain focused on recovery,” Middleton announced on X on Jan. 14.
The remission announcement comes a few months after she revealed in September that she had completed chemotherapy treatment.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Princess’s case, including what type of cancer she had. Here’s what it means to be in remission from cancer.
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Defining “remission”
Cancer remission means that doctors have successfully reduced the signs and symptoms of cancer—in some cases, to undetectable levels. “Remission quite simply means that at that point, there is no detectable sign that cancer is in the body on all of the tests we have done,” says Dr. Sikander Ailawadhi, an oncologist and professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic. That doesn’t necessarily mean the cancer is completely gone, but it does mean that doctors can’t find it after thoroughly testing for it.
“The word remission is a very, very tricky word,” says Dr. Marleen Meyers, professor of medicine and director of the survivorship program at the Perlmutter Cancer Center of NYU Langone Health. “The common use of the word—even among oncologists, if they say someone is in remission—is that it means we have knowledge that it could come back, but at the moment, there is no evidence of cancer.”
The way the term “remission” is used can vary “from person to person and, really, physician to physician,” says Dr. Christopher Flowers, chair of the department of lymphoma and myeloma and head of the division of cancer medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
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The National Cancer Institute, for example, defines two types of remission: partial and complete. In complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared, the agency says, while in partial remission, the cancer may be reduced but remain in the body. (It’s not clear from Middleton’s post which kind of remission her cancer is in.) If people remain in complete remission for at least five years, it could mean they have been cured of their cancer.
“You have to have complete remission to be cured,” says Dr. Larry Norton, an oncologist and medical director of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, “but complete remission doesn’t guarantee that you’re cured.”
Can cancer return after remission?
Cancer is notorious for recurring—even after remission—and some types are more likely to do so than others. “Certain kinds of cancers, such as glioblastoma multiforme [a brain cancer]—even if it’s gone, it’s going to come back very soon,” says Ailawadhi. “Similarly, pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, and ovarian cancers have a very high risk of coming back—despite treatment, despite complete responses, despite remission.” Small numbers of cancerous cells that doctors can’t detect may start growing at any time. Most patients will continue to work with their doctors to monitor for any signs of these recurrences.
“I tell my patients that remission is an important milestone on the cancer journey to know you are on the pathway to cure,” says Flowers. “It’s the most positive first step to be in remission.”
For now, the Princess says she is “looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead,” and thanked the staff at the Royal Marsden Hospital, where she was treated, for “looking after me so well during the past year.” The Princess has limited her royal duties since her diagnosis, but recently appeared at the family’s annual Christmas Day service in Sandringham and hosted the “Together at Christmas” carol service at Westminster Abbey in early December.
Kate stops car for chat with ‘hello princess’ girl
Catherine, Princess of Wales, has delighted a small girl who was calling to her by stopping the royal car and jumping out to have a chat.
In a highly unusual move, Catherine pulled over her convoy to speak to three-year-old Lily-Rose, who had been crying out “hello princess” as the royal left a knitwear and sock making factory.
The princess jogged over to shake Lily-Rose’s hand and said: “I heard you say ‘hello’ from all the way back there and I wanted to come and see you.”
Lily-Rose handed Catherine a toy banana outside the Corgi factory in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, and the little girl’s mum Stacey Chorley said afterwards: “It was so exciting, we had no idea that was going to happen.”
The princess’s actions were remarkable because royal convoys rarely stop after they have left an engagement.
“I hope this is one of the things Lily-Rose will remember,” said Stacey, 39, of Ammanford.
“Kate was so lovely, she’s very natural and down to earth.”
As Catherine handed Lily-Rose back her banana the young girl threw it on the floor and the princess had to bend down to retrieve it.
PAOn another visit earlier in the day, Catherine was named patron of a south Wales children’s hospice.
She visited Tŷ Hafan in Sully, Vale of Glamorgan, to meet children with life-shortening conditions and their families.
The princess has followed in the footsteps of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and King Charles to become the figurehead of the organisation.
Kensington Palace said she was looking forward to building a close relationship with the hospice and those it served.
PA
One of the families that have been supported by the charity are Emily and James Taylor.
The couple spent two weeks at the Tŷ Hafan hospice with their daughter Violet before she died.
Ms Taylor said the charity was a “safety net” for them and “did so much for Violet”.
“They are amazing. I know they are going to be there for us for life.”
The Taylors were invited to meet the Princess of Wales on Thursday to share their story.
Ms Taylor said the day was “so special” and she felt privileged to be able to represent all the families that used the charity’s services.
“We are just one of the hundreds of families that Tŷ Hafan has supported, so to have someone like the Princess of Wales come here and be able to talk to her about our daughter it feels very profound and I think it’s a day we are going to remember forever.”
Irfon Rees, the charity’s chief executive said: “We are deeply honoured that Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales has become patron of Tŷ Hafan.
“It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Her Royal Highness to our hospice for the first time today.
“As our patron, Her Royal Highness will be an inspiration for children with life-shortening conditions and their families, our dedicated staff and volunteers and everyone who so generously supports us.”
Thursday’s unannounced trip was the Princess of Wales’ second this week as she continues to make a phased return to royal duties after having chemotherapy last summer.
Catherine made a surprise appearance at official commemorations, also attended by the Prince of Wales, marking Holocaust Memorial Day on Monday.
PAThe flurry of royal engagements this week is not thought to indicate that the princess is fully back to work, but rather continuing her gradual resumption of official duties.
Kensington Palace said the first patronage Catherine took on after becoming a member of the Royal Family was EACH (East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice) and she maintained a close relationship with the organisation.
Tŷ Hafan – which is Welsh for Haven House – was founded in 1999 by Suzanne Goodall, after a fundraising campaign lasting more than a decade, when she discovered there was no children’s hospice in Wales.
The hospice provides free care and support to children with life-shortening conditions and their families, both within the hospice and in homes and communities in Wales.
What does King Charles do and who else is in the Royal Family?
King Charles III went to Auschwitz in January to mark 80 years since the Nazi concentration camp’s liberation.
The visit followed a tour of Australia, in October, which reignited the debate about the role of the monarchy in the country.
That tour was the King’s biggest overseas trip since he resumed public duties following his cancer diagnosis, in February 2024.
What does the King do?
The King is the UK head of state, but his powers are largely symbolic and ceremonial. He remains politically neutral.
He receives daily dispatches from the government in a red leather box, including briefings ahead of important meetings, or documents needing his signature.
The prime minister normally meets the King on a Wednesday at Buckingham Palace.
These meetings are completely private, and no official records are kept of what is said.
Getty ImagesThe King also has a number of official parliamentary roles:
- Appointing a government – the leader of the party that wins a general election is usually called to Buckingham Palace, where they are invited to form a government. The King also formally dissolves Parliament before a general election
- State Opening and the King’s Speech – the King sets out the government’s plans in a speech delivered from the throne in the House of Lords
- Royal Assent – when a piece of legislation is passed through Parliament, it must be formally approved by the King in order to become law. The last time Royal Assent was refused was in 1708
He also leads the annual Remembrance event in November at the Cenotaph in London.
The King is also head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries spanning 2.5 billion people.
He is head of state for 14 of these, known as the Commonwealth realms, and the Crown dependencies – the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
As well as hosting visiting heads of state, the King regularly meets foreign ambassadors and high commissioners, and carries out foreign visits.
ReutersWhen the King Charles addressed the Australian parliament during his October visit, he was heckled by Aboriginal senator Lidia Thorpe, who accused him of genocide before being escorted out by security.
He was not her king or “of this land”, she later told BBC News.
Ahead of the trip, the King said the question of “whether Australia becomes a republic” was a “matter for the Australian public to decide”.
Jonathan Yeo StudioCharles also confers official honours on people from all walks of life, in public recognition of their merit, service or bravery. Most honours are awarded at new year and on the monarch’s official birthday, in June.
The King is patron to a number of organisations, including the RNLI, the Samaritans, RAF Museum, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the Penny Brohn cancer charity and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society, Orchestra and Choir.
The Queen also holds a number of patronages, including the Royal Literary Fund, the Royal Academy of Dance, the Royal Voluntary Service and the Army Benevolent Fund, and undertakes her own public engagements.
How did King Charles’s cancer diagnosis change his duties?
King Charles was diagnosed with cancer in February 2024, and began treatment shortly afterwards.
Although he withdrew from public events in the weeks after his cancer was revealed, the King carried on his constitutional role as head of state, completing paperwork and holding private meetings.
His weekly sessions with the prime minister also continued.
The King’s first major public appearance after his diagnosis was on Easter Sunday 2024, when he and the Queen greeted crowds after a church service in Windsor.
He resumed his public duties at the end of April, when he visited a cancer treatment centre with Queen Camilla.
PA MediaHe also made a surprise visit to an army barracks in Hampshire, where he joked about having been “allowed out of my cage”.
In June he attended the Trooping of the Colour ceremony, where Catherine, Princess of Wales, made her much anticipated first public appearance after her own cancer diagnosis.
Who else is in the Royal Family?
PA Media- Prince William is the elder son of King Charles and his first wife, the late Princess Diana. After the death of Queen Elizabeth, he became the Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall while retaining his previous Duke of Cambridge title. He is married to Catherine, Princess of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. They have three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis
- The Princess Royal (Princess Anne) was the Queen’s second child and only daughter. She is married to Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence and has two children with her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips: Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall
- The Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Edward) was the Queen’s youngest child. He is married to the Duchess of Edinburgh (Sophie Rhys-Jones). They have two children: Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex
- The Duke of York (Prince Andrew) was the Queen’s second son. He has two daughters with his former wife, the Duchess of York (Sarah Ferguson): Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Prince Andrew stepped down as a “working royal” in 2019 after a controversial BBC Newsnight interview about allegations that he had sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre. In February 2022, he paid an undisclosed sum to settle the civil sexual assault case which Ms Guiffre brought against him in the US
- The Duke of Sussex (Prince Harry) is William’s younger brother. He is married to the Duchess of Sussex (Meghan Markle). They have two children: Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. In 2020, they announced they were stepping back as senior royals and moved to California
How does succession work and who is King Charles’s heir?
The order of succession sets out which member of the Royal Family takes over as monarch when the existing one dies or abdicates.
First in line – the heir to the throne – is the monarch’s eldest child. Sons no longer take precedence over their older sisters.
King Charles’s heir is his elder son William, the Prince of Wales.
William’s eldest child Prince George is second-in-line to the throne, and his daughter Princess Charlotte is third. Her younger brother Prince Louis is fourth and Prince Harry is fifth.
Where does the Royal Family get its money?
The Royal Family receives an annual payment from the taxpayer, known as the Sovereign Grant, which is used to pay for official expenses, such as the upkeep of properties and staff costs.
The amount is based on a proportion of the profits of the Crown Estate, a £15.5bn property business owned by the monarch, but run independently.
The Sovereign Grant is worth £86.3m for 2024-2025, as it was in the previous three years, although the Royal Family’s total spending was more, with the difference covered by reserves.
To keep the annual payment at the same level, the grant is now a smaller percentage of Crown Estate profits.
But those profits have now been boosted by six new offshore wind farms, making the grant worth £132m in 2025-26 – even under the reduced formula.
Without the reduction, the monarchy would have received £275m.
Getty ImagesThe King also receives money from a private estate called the Duchy of Lancaster, which is passed down from monarch to monarch. It covers more than 18,000 hectares of land, including property in central London. Worth £646m, it generated £27.4m in profits in the year to 31 March 2024.
The Duke of Cornwall (currently William, Prince of Wales) benefits from the Duchy of Cornwall, which mainly owns land in the south-west of England. Worth £1.1bn, it generated a net surplus of £23.6m in the year to 31 March 2024.
The King and William receive the profits from the duchies personally, and can spend the money as they wish. Both voluntarily pay income tax on the proceeds.
Some Royal Family members have private art, jewellery and stamp collections which they can sell or use to generate income as they wish.
- Where do Harry and Meghan get their money?
What happened at the Coronation?
Charles became King on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on 8 September 2022.
On 6 May 2023, Charles and his wife Camilla were crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury in front of more than 2,000 guests, including global politicians, fellow kings and queens, religious leaders, celebrities and community champions.
Crowds lined the streets of central London to watch the King and Queen return to Buckingham Palace in a mile-long procession.
A number of protectors were arrested ahead of the ceremony, including the leader of anti-monarchy group Republic.
Two months later, the King was presented with the Scottish crown jewels, in a special service of thanksgiving at St Giles’s Cathedral, in Edinburgh.
Some protesters chanted “not my king” before the service.
Where do the Royal Family live?
The King and Queen’s official residence, Buckingham Palace, is having a 10-year £369m refurbishment. As a result, they split their time between Clarence House in London and Highgrove in Gloucestershire.
Other Royal residences include Windsor Castle, Sandringham in Norfolk, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire.
In August 2022, the Prince and Princess of Wales moved from Kensington Palace in west London to live in Adelaide Cottage, on the Windsor Estate.
How popular is the Royal Family?
A 2023 YouGov opinion poll of more than 2,000 adults in Britain ahead of the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death suggested a sharp generational divide.
Overall, 62% wanted to keep the monarchy, with 26% backing an elected head of state – up from 17% a decade earlier.
But while 80% of the over-65s supported the monarchy, only 37% of 18-to-24-year-olds agreed.
There was also less support for the royals in Scotland or Wales than in England.
