Princess Kate has described the “very scary, very daunting experience” of finishing her cancer treatment only to find she was still “not able to function normally at home.”

The Princess of Wales made the remarks on Wednesday during a visit to the Royal Horticultural Society’s Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital in Essex, England, which aims to provide a space where staff, patients and visitors can enjoy being in nature.

“There is a whole phase when you finish your treatment, everybody expects you to be better—go. But that’s not the case at all,” she said.

Why It Matters

Kate announced she had finished chemotherapy in September and by January disclosed on social media that she was officially in remission.

However, her workload has continued to be lighter than it was before her health crisis and in June she appeared to cancel an announced visit to Ascot Racecourse. Regalrumination.com understands the princess had not intended to go and the announcement she would be there was a result of a mix up between the palace and organizers.

Her latest comments lend greater insight, though, into why she is still maintaining a scaled-down workload six months after announcing she was in remission.

What To Know

Quoted by the Daily Mail, Kate told patients and volunteers: “You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually the phase afterwards is really difficult.

“You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to.

“And actually someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment I think is really valuable.”

Kate looked chic in a beige Blazé Milano blazer and matching striped Ralph Lauren shirt.

A palace press release said Wednesday’s visit to Colchester Hospital was to “celebrate the incredible healing power of nature and raise awareness of the important role that spending time in nature plays in bringing us joy and supporting our mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing.”

It was her first public appearance since it emerged that she was not attending Royal Ascot in June, underscoring her cautious approach to resuming royal duties.

The Princess’ visit included planting “Catherine’s Rose,” a flower named in her honor, in the Wellbeing Garden. Proceeds from the rose’s sales support a cancer charity, reflecting her ongoing commitment to cancer awareness and support.

Kate’s openness about the challenges of posttreatment life offers a rare glimpse into the personal struggles faced by cancer survivors, highlighting the need for continued support and understanding beyond the completion of medical procedures.

What People Are Saying

The Kensington Palace press release said: “The Princess’ visit coincides with the donation of 50 ‘Catherine’s Rose’ plants, named for The Princess by the RHS with funds from sales going to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, to Colchester Hospital.

“Five hundred ‘Catherine’s Rose’ plants will be donated to wellbeing and community gardens across the UK this summer, including Maggie’s gardens for people affected by cancer, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices and Horatio’s Gardens for those living with spinal injuries.”

Williams Brown is chief royal correspondent for Regalrumination.com, based in London. You can find him on at and read his stories on Regalrumination.com‘s

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