Prince William Gives Update on Kate Middleton’s Health: ‘Good News’ but ‘Still a Long Way to Go’
Prince William’s comment echoed what his wife said in a video message released the day prior
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Prince William briefly spoke about how Kate Middleton is doing during his first royal outing after the Princess of Wales announced that she completed chemotherapy treatment.
The Prince of Wales, 42, shared the insight with well-wishers while visiting Llanelli, Wales on Sept. 10. “It’s good news, but there is still a long way to go,” Prince William said during a walkabout, Hello! reported.
Princess Kate was top of mind for many waiting at the gates of Swiss Valley Community Primary School, Prince William’s first stop of the day. As he made his way out and met with members of the crowd gathered to see him, he thanked those who asked about his wife, telling one, “She is better, and thank you.”
Approaching the group, William greeted them with “bore da” (which means “good morning” in Welsh), shook hands, received cards — and even admired a pet dragon, the heraldic animal on Wales’ national flag.
One well-wisher, Jane Stoneman, handed William a letter to pass on to Kate.
“I said it was great to see Kate was better and recovering,” she tells PEOPLE. “I told him I enjoyed the video and asked him to give her the card and all my love.”
William checked out the heartfelt card and “He said, ‘She is better. Thank you very much,’ ” Stoneman says, adding “It’s absolutely fabulous that he took the time to come. They work very hard — we’re lucky to have them. Catherine and the family will do all of us in this country good.”
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Of the moving video message released the day prior, “It was a beautiful video — it made me cry,” Stoneman says. “They are human, aren’t they? Catherine has been through such a difficult time, and to see she is so loved by her family is lovely. As she said, it’s all about love and being loved.”
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Also in the crowd, Catherine Owens clutched a dragon toy that belongs to her daughter, Emeline. “I told him it’s my daughter’s, and that I’d brought it along for him to see a representation of Wales,” she tells PEOPLE. “And that I have to return it before bedtime. He said, ‘Oh, yes. Very important.’ “
Owens adds of the prince’s visit that “We were really pleased to see him here. The school is at the heart of the community, and most of the people here today have children at the school.”
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The visit came the day after Princess Kate shared that she completed chemotherapy treatment for cancer in an unprecedented home video with Prince William and their children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. The Princess of Wales, 42, has been outside of the public eye for almost the entirety of 2024 after sharing in March that she began chemotherapy after post-operative tests following abdominal surgery in January detected the disease.
“As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” Princess Kate said in audio laid over the video, which was shot by Will Warr in Norfolk in August.
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“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,” she continued.
“The cancer journey is 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,” Princess Kate said, as footage rolled over a montage of moments of the Princess of Wales and her family, mostly shot outdoors.
“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. Of simply loving and being loved,” she said.
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“Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. 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 explained — connecting to what her husband said in Wales on Sept. 10.
PEOPLE understands that Princess Kate is looking forward to undertaking a handful of public engagements in the coming months, though, as she mentioned in her video message, her focus is on being cancer-free, and her journey to a full recovery is long.
The royal will resume to a light program of external engagements for the remainder of the year, underscoring the need to focus on making a full recovery.
Princess Kate acknowledged that she had “good days and bad days” as she continued chemotherapy in the initial public update on her health that she shared in June.
Following her summer of recovery, a source in her circle tells PEOPLE, “She had a lovely summer and is very focused on her wellbeing. She is definitely going to be doing less.”
Kate Middleton broke huge royal protocol with cancer update video: ‘Filmed by cameraman from…’
Kate Middleton made a big departure from royal protocol with her personal video announcement about completing her cancer treatment. The Princess of Wales, who had shared her diagnosis with the disease earlier in the year, revealed in a heartfelt message that she had finished her “preventative” chemotherapy, a moment that was both deeply personal and groundbreaking for the royal family.
This move, according to royal expert Robert Hardman, signifies a major shift in royal communication, as the Princess took control of her narrative and connected directly with her supporters, something that never happened before.
How did Princess Kate break Royal tradition?
The Princess of Wales has long been celebrated for adhering to royal traditions, following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth. However, royal biographer Robert Hardman argues that Kate deviated from protocol, by delivering a message entirely in her own words.
In his book King Charles, New King, New Court, Hardman notes that she signed off on the message with a unique touch. “It was attributed not to ‘HRH The Princess of Wales’, but to ‘Catherine, The Princess of Wales’, a tiny point to most people but a noteworthy one in an institution bound to a correct way of doing things,” the author wrote according to the Mirror.
The Princess’s sudden disappearance from public view sparked global concern earlier this year, with social media abuzz over conspiracy theories and questions about her well-being during her prolonged absence.
After publicly sharing her devastating cancer diagnosis, the Princess finally appeared on camera in September to update about her health. Royal biographer Robert Hardman observed that this message “had certainly not been captured on a family mobile phone,” noting instead that “the Princess had been filmed by a cameraman from BBC Studios Events Productions—the same team that filmed the Coronation and the late Queen’s funeral.”
Kate Middleton arrives at Royal remembrance event
The mother of three, who stepped back from royal duties to focus on her health and treatment, is slowly making a return to her royal responsibilities. Kate recently appeared alongside the Royal Family at a Remembrance Day event in London on Saturday. She was joined by Prince William, King Charles, and other royal members, except for Queen Camilla, who is recovering from an illness. The event, held annually, honours fallen service personnel from World War I and World War II at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
On Tuesday the Palace released an update about the Queen’s health and wrote “Her Majesty The Queen is currently unwell with a chest infection, for which her doctors have advised a short period of rest.”
“With great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week but she very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal. She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.”
This marks the Princess’s second public appearance since her September update about her cancer battle and recovery. Kate made a surprise appearance with William during a visit to Southport last month.
Princess Catherine’s Subtle Ring Swap Sparks Curiosity
Royal watchers are abuzz with recent changes in the jewelry choices of Prince William and Princess Catherine.
HUSSEIN SAMIR/SIPA/EAST NEWS
Fans noticed that William has never worn a wedding band, a decision that sparked rumors and concern about the state of his marriage to Kate Middleton. However, the simple reason behind his choice is that he doesn’t wear jewelry at all, a preference he’s held consistently over the years.
Now, attention has shifted to Princess Catherine, who has made a notable change of her own by swapping out her iconic sapphire engagement ring for a more understated eternity band.
DANNY LAWSON/AFP/East News
This new ring was first seen in a video message where Catherine and William congratulated Team Great Britain for their achievements at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. She wore it again in a touching video where she shared that she had completed preventative chemotherapy.
The sapphire engagement ring she set aside is famously sentimental—it belonged to Princess Diana and was given to Catherine by William when he proposed in 2010. She even had it resized to fit perfectly, showing how much the ring and its history mean to her.
Jewelry expert Ella Citron-Thompkins suggests that Catherine may have switched to the eternity band for comfort or symbolism. She believes the new ring might mark important milestones in Catherine and William’s relationship, or simply serve as a quieter expression of love.
Citron-Thompkins also noted that the eternity band is more subtle compared to Diana’s ring, possibly a choice for day-to-day comfort. Catherine’s change may be a gentle reminder that, even without the sapphire, her love for William remains constant and true.
Preview photo credit DANNY LAWSON/AFP/East News
The reason why Princess Kate did not accompany Prince William to tiara event at the palace
T
he Princess of Wales is usually a regular fixture at the annual diplomatic reception, but on Tuesday her husband, the Prince of Wales, put in a solo appearance at the white-tie event at Buckingham Palace.
Kate, 42, has only missed the reception once since she made her debut in 2013 – and this was in 2014 when it clashed with her and William’s visit to New York.
Over the years, the Princess has wowed in an array of glittering gowns and tiaras, last year wearing a shimmering pink Jenny Packham dress with the Lover’s Knot tiara.
But it’s been a difficult year for the Waleses amid Kate’s cancer diagnosis and she’s making a gradual return to her public duties after completing chemotherapy in September.
For now, the Princess is concentrating on her upcoming Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on 6 December, with the service reflecting on “how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives”.
“Kate’s very aware of what the future holds so she’s taking the time to focus on getting fit and strong again while she can and doing it on her terms,” royal biographer Robert Jobson told HELLO! in the latest issue of the magazine.
© GettyMeanwhile, royal author Robert Hardman added: “There will be a gradual scaling up of her activities in the new year, perhaps with some office-based engagements relating to her early years work.
“The Palace will be keen to manage expectations. If she did start returning to major social events, that would lead people to think things are back to normal, which isn’t the case. So I think there’s no pressure on her to do that.”
While Kate will play host at her Christmas concert, it is yet to be confirmed whether she will be involved in the state visit to the UK by the Emir of Qatar from 3 to 4 December.
The Princess of Wales’s most dazzling diplomatic reception looks
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© Getty2015
Kate wore the Lover’s Knot tiara for the first time at the diplomatic reception in 2015, teamed with an ice blue lace gown and Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond chandelier earrings.
The pearl and diamond headpiece is synonymous with the royal’s late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales.
2016
The then Duchess of Cambridge wowed in a red Jenny Packham gown with the Lover’s Knot tiara.
© Getty2017
We only got a peek of Kate’s white embellished dress as she arrived at the palace by car in 2017, but once again she opted for the Lover’s Knot tiara and a diamond necklace.
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© Getty2018
The Princess was a vision in a bridal white dress by Jenny Packham with the Lover’s Knot tiara and Princess Diana’s Collingwood diamond and pearl drop earrings.
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© Getty2019
Kate looked elegant in a navy velvet gown by Alexander McQueen with a dazzling array of jewels, including the Lover’s Knot tiara and the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace and diamond chandelier earrings.
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© Getty2022
For her first time at the reception as the Princess of Wales, Kate opted for a red sequined Jenny Packham gown and the Lotus Flower tiara.
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© Getty2023
Kate repeated her evening look from the Jordan royal wedding earlier that year, wearing a pink embellished Jenny Packham dress and the Lover’s Knot tiara.
Kate Middleton shares new photos weeks after returning to work following chemotherapy treatment
The Princess of Wales met with a teenager battling cancer on Wednesday.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, met with a teenager navigating her own cancer journey on Wednesday, sharing photos of their meeting weeks after the princess announced she completed her own chemotherapy treatment.
The princess posted two photos of her meeting with the teen, Liz, to her Instagram account she shares with her husband, Prince William.
“A pleasure to meet with Liz at Windsor today. A talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both. Thank you for sharing your photos and story with us,” the caption of the post reads, signed off by “W&C” and a red heart emoji.
According to the BBC, Liz, a 16-year-old who was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumors in January, is attempting to complete a bucket list of photography assignments, from photographing musical rehearsals to professional models.
Last month, the former Kate Middleton said she finished her chemotherapy treatment, about six months 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 said in a video posted on social media on Sept. 9. “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.”
She described her cancer journey as “complex, scary and unpredictable,” including those around her. She added that she and William had taken the time to “reflect and be grateful for the simple, yet important things in life.”
“Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. 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,” she said.
Kate returned to work just over a week after she made the announcement, attending a meeting on Sept. 17 with her royal foundation at Windsor Castle, according to the royal court circular, or the official record of the royal family.
In March, Kate announced she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer after she underwent a planned abdominal surgery in January.
“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” so they could explain what was happening to their three children, George, 11, Charlotte, 9, and Louis, 6.
The former Kate Middleton made her first public appearance after her cancer diagnosis at Trooping the Colour in June, or the annual celebration of the monarch’s birthday.
She also attended the men’s singles final at Wimbledon in July, and appeared in a video celebrating the success of Team Great Britain at the 2024 Olympics in August.
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