Princess of Wales shares cancer treatment journey: "Good days and bad days"

The Princess of Wales has penned a moving personal message thanking the public for their support over her cancer diagnosis and revealing she will attend Trooping the Colour tomorrow.

Kate, 42, who disclosed back in March that she was undergoing ‘preventative chemotherapy‘ for an undisclosed form of the disease, says her treatment is ongoing and will be for several months to come.

While she will not be returning to public duties full time, she does now feel well enough, however, to undertake a small number of public engagements in the coming months.

The first will be at the King’s official birthday parade tomorrow where she will ride in a carriage with her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis before appearing on the Buckingham Palace balcony alongside the rest of the Royal Family.

In her message the Princess says she has been ‘blown away’ by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months.

‘It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times,’ she wrote.

Movingly she reveals she is making ‘good progress’, but adds: ‘As anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days.

‘On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.’

She added: ‘My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.

‘I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet.

‘I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.

Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.’

The Princess first announced that she had cancer on March 22.

In a hugely moving video statement, recorded at Windsor, she revealed that she had been diagnosed following serious abdominal surgery in January and was already undergoing ‘preventative’ chemotherapy.

In the video – which had been filmed just two days earlier – Catherine revealed the news had come as a ‘huge shock’ and that she and William ‘have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family’.

‘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,’ she said.

‘As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.

‘Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too. As is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both.’

Kensington Palace said at the time that it would not be sharing details of what kind of cancer the princess has, or what stage of cancer it is and asked people not to speculate.

At the time of her abdominal surgery in January, Kensington Palace said that it was non-cancerous. They confirmed again in March that is the case and that no tests had confirmed the presence of cancer.

However post-operative tests subsequently found that cancer ‘had been present’.

It is understood that the princess and the entire Wales family are ‘deeply grateful for the warm and thoughtful wishes’ they have received from all over the world since she shared that news via her video message back in March.

While her attendance at Trooping the Colour will undoubtedly be a ‘significant moment’, it has been strongly stressed that it should not be seen as a return to a full schedule of public engagements.

(The New York Times)