Kate Middleton says she’s navigating a “really, really difficult” period of life after skipping royal events amid her cancer recovery.

In a rare candid conversation about her cancer journey, the Princess of Wales opened up about how hard it is to go back to her normal life after chemotherapy.

“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, really difficult,” the 43-year-old royal said while at Colchester Hospital in Essex on July 2, visiting the hospital’s specially designed well-being garden that offers a restorative space for patients, NHS staff, and visitors.

“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,” the Princess of Wales continued. “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.”

Middleton, who announced her cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy treatment in March 2024, called being able to talk through her experience “life-changing.”

“You have to find your new normal and that takes time…and it’s a rollercoaster, it’s not smooth, like you expect it to be,” she said. “But the reality is you go through hard times.”

Middleton spent much of 2024 out of the public eye, save for a few appearances at Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon. In September 2024, she announced that she was finished with cancer treatment and revealed in January that she was in remission.

Since then, we’ve seen more of Middleton, including with appearances at the 2025 Trooping the Colour and Order of the Garter. However, she notably skipped the Royal Ascot in June amid reports that she was still figuring out the “right balance” amid her recovery.

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