Princess Kate confirms she's in remission in personal message
The Princess of Wales has shared her relief that she's now in remission as she issued a heartfelt, personal thank you to the staff who looked after her during her cancer treatment.
Kate, 43, released the message on social media hours after she visited The Royal Marsden hospital in Chelsea, London, where she received chemotherapy last year.
The Princess said: "I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year.
"My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything. We couldn’t have asked for more.
"The care and advice we have received throughout my time as a patient has been exceptional."
Kate was announced as co-joint patron of the hospital with Prince William during the visit, and vowed in her message: "In my new role as Joint Patron of The Royal Marsden, my hope is, that by supporting groundbreaking research and clinical excellence, as well as promoting patient and family wellbeing, we might save many more lives, and transform the experience of all those impacted by cancer."
Sharing an update on her recovery, the Princess signed off by saying: "It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focussed on recovery. As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal.
"I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support."
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Princess Kate visits hospital where she received cancer treatment
The outing marked Kate's first solo engagement since 2023 as she makes a gradual return to her public duties.
She was last seen publicly with her family as the Waleses attended the Christmas Day church service in Sandringham.
What does remission mean?
Cancer Research UK's website states: "Remission is a word doctors often use when talking about cancer. It means that after treatment there is no sign of the cancer."
Remission can be complete, partial or stable disease. Complete means cancer can't be detected on scans, x-rays, blood tests or other tests
Partial remission means chemotherapy has killed some of the cells, but not all, and stable disease means that the cancer has stayed the same size or it might even have grown by a small amount.
Opening about her cancer treatment
During the visit to The Royal Marsden, Kate shared personal details about her "really tough" chemotherapy.
Talking to Katherine Field, 45, who was wearing a cold cap during her chemotherapy to preserve her hair, the Princess gestured to her own arm and chest to discuss the port mechanism used to deliver the drugs.
"I got so attached to it," Kate said, joking she had hesitated when finally told "you can have it taken out" now.
