Princess Kateis getting personal.
In an interview with Country Life magazine, a special edition which was guest edited by husband Prince William, the future queen opened up on her cancer recovery, comparing the healing process to the natural world.
Kate said the outdoors has been her "sanctuary," a place she has "instinctively wanted to go" as she healed from cancer.
"I was told in hospital that my recovery would not be linear. There will be good days and bad days, that it will take time," the mother of three said. "This is the same in nature. It shows us that periods of rest, reflection and renewal are equally as important as moments of growth."
In March 2024, Kate revealed that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer following
abdominal surgery and that she was undergoing a "course of preventive chemotherapy treatment." Last year she said her cancer was in remission.
Kate said her love of the outdoors stemmed from a childhood exploring the countryside. Kate recalled "blackberry picking" and "playing in streams" while finding a restorative connection that has carried her into her adult life.
In the interview, Kate shared that being outdoors has long given her assurance in the face of uncertainty.
"I find hope in the lessons nature teaches: that, despite the challenges life may throw at us, we are not alone and that we’re interconnected with something bigger than ourselves," she said. "Nature reminds us that change is inevitable."
In June, Kate shared that she scaled the three highest peaks in Great Britain in 24 hours to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. She said the challenge was "a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back." The princess was cheered on by her three children, Prince George,13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8.
"That's why nature has felt so important to me – it is a quiet teacher," she told the magazine. "Sometimes, when life is very loud, a quiet teacher is exactly what we need."
Kate's interview was published one month after Kensington Palace released three portraits of her posing outdoors, her trademark curls flowing past her shoulders. The images were shared as the princess announced a new project celebrating the power of nature and how it can be used to support young people.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Princess Kate speaks out on her cancer recovery in new interview
