Future Queen Princess Kate's journey after her cancer diagnosis
Last year, Kate had to forgo her participation in the parade.
Image: dpa
Kate has been Colonel of the Irish Guards since 2023. She took over the role from her husband, Prince William.
Image: dpa
Kate wore a green outfit with a gold shamrock pin to match the occasion.
Image: dpa
Last year, Kate had to forgo her participation in the parade.
Image: dpa
Kate has been Colonel of the Irish Guards since 2023. She took over the role from her husband, Prince William.
Image: dpa
Kate wore a green outfit with a gold shamrock pin to match the occasion.
Image: dpa
It's been a year since Princess Kate made her cancer diagnosis public. After surviving chemotherapy, she is back on the road on behalf of Her Majesty - and faces a task.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- A year ago, Princess Kate made her cancer diagnosis public.
- Now the wife of heir to the throne Prince William is back in public life and traveling a lot again.
- With the British royals, it's all about showing up in public and how you do it.
- Kate will one day be Queen alongside William.
When you see Princess Kate (43) today, laughing with a bunch of clover on her coat, the difficult months seem almost forgotten. A year ago, the daughter-in-law of King Charles III (76) made her cancer diagnosis public.
In a video, she said, sitting on a park bench, that she was receiving chemotherapy. The moment was memorable for many in the UK - and beyond.
"Kate reveals cancer shock" was the headline of a tabloid newspaper at the time. A year has passed since the video was published on March 22, 2024. Kate has now finished her chemotherapy.
How is Kate doing today?
The wife of heir to the throne Prince William (42) is back in public life and traveling a lot again. In mid-January, she visited the London hospital where she was treated. "It's a relief to be in remission now and I'm continuing to focus on my recovery," she said at the time, without giving any details.
According to the Cancer Research UK organization, a complete remission would mean that no more signs of cancer can be detected after treatment. In September, Kate announced that she had finished her chemo and that her focus was on remaining cancer-free.
It is still not known what type of cancer was found in her abdomen after her operation. The palace is remaining silent on this, just as it did with King Charles' cancer.
In her messages, Kate let it be known that it was not an easy time for her and her family. Her husband William said in November: "It's probably been the hardest year of my life."
Why is Kate so popular?
"That's a very good question," says constitutional lawyer Craig Prescott from London's Royal Holloway University, who studies the British monarchy. She has long been one of the most popular royals. He explains this with the story of Kate and William - two people meet at university, get married and start a family.
At its core, many people can identify with it - even if the circumstances here are extraordinary, explains Prescott. Kate seems to have found it very easy to integrate into the royal family, appearing engaged and approachable at appearances.
Is the palace working on a new image?
The British royals - often referred to as "the firm" - are all about how they present themselves in public and how they do it. Kate will one day be Queen alongside William. And is confronted with correspondingly high expectations.
For a while now, she has been particularly committed to supporting children in their development - an issue that the mother of three wants to be seen to be doing in public. Kate wants to make her appearances meaningful, author Amanda Foreman told People magazine.
Recently, a report stated that information about Kate's clothes should no longer be routinely published - for example, which designers she wears. However, a palace spokesman later corrected himself and said that her approach had not changed.
The role of the heir to the throne and his wife is to support the royal couple, explains constitutional lawyer Prescott. Kate is therefore a central figure in the Royal Family. In his opinion, William seems to enjoy sharing the limelight with his wife.
Videos on Instagram: Do the royals communicate differently?
It wasn't just the video of Kate's diagnosis that went around the world, her clip from September also caused discussion. In it, Kate can be seen out in nature with her husband and children Prince George (11), Princess Charlotte (9) and Prince Louis (6). She drives an off-road vehicle, cuddles with her family, leans against a tree. Beach, forest, blades of grass. It was a lot of emotion for the royal family. Some also thought it was kitsch.
The monarchy was always using new ways of communicating, Prescott explains. Kings George V and George VI relied on radio and Queen Elizabeth II on television. It makes sense for William and Kate to use social media to reach younger people. "This is the demographic that is least likely to support the monarchy."
If you do that, you can't just take a press release and post it on Instagram, says Prescott. After the difficulties of the past year, they probably also want to publish more information to avoid a vacuum. During Kate's absence, rumors and conspiracy theories had initially spread. It was only after a while that Kensington Palace made the cancer diagnosis public.
