Kate Middleton Announces First Public Appearance Since Cancer Diagnosis at Trooping the Colour Event: ‘I Am Making Good Progress’
Kate Middleton is set to make her first public appearance in nearly six months at the annual Trooping the Colour event in London on Saturday, which celebrates the official birthday of the British sovereign.
Posting a new statement online the Princess of Wales revealed that she has been “blown away” by all the kind messages of support and encouragement since her recent diagnosis. Read the full statement below:
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“It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times. I am making good progress, but 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. 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.”
I have 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.
I am making good progress, but as anyone going… pic.twitter.com/J1jTlgwRU8— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 14, 2024
The royal has been out of the spotlight since January, when she was admitted to the hospital for a “planned abdominal surgery,” with her last public appearance being on Christmas Day. She was discharged from the hospital at the end of the month, but rumors began to swirl in March when Middleton had still not been seen in public.
On March 10, which is Mother’s Day in the U.K., Middleton posted a photo with her children that was later flagged by three major news agencies as having been digitally manipulated, stirring further controversy. She put out a statement the next day apologizing for the confusion, saying: “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.”
However, on March 22, Middleton announced via a video message that her absence was due to a cancer diagnosis, for which she had been undergoing treatment.
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” she said. “My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment. This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”
At the same time, Middleton’s father-in-law, King Charles, has been fighting his own battle with cancer. He was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February, and made his first public appearance in April.
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