Catherine, Princess of Wales, offered a rare reflection on her cancer journey during an interaction at her annual carol service, “Together At Christmas.”
Kate hosted the fourth annual event at Westminster Abbey on Dec. 6 with her three children and husband, William, Prince of Wales.
In a video shared by British broadcast station Channel 5 News on X, Kate is seen talking about her challenging year after singer Paloma Faith inquired about how she was doing.
“This year has been full of surprises,” Kate can be heard answering.
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“The unplanned,” Faith offered, to which Kate nodded and repeated, “The unplanned, exactly.”
“But I know I’m not alone. So many people have faced their own challenges this year,” Kate added.
The private and often reserved 42-year-old’s words offered a rare glimpse into her experience with cancer, a journey that prompted her to step back from public duties to undergo treatment.
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In September, Kate announced that she had completed chemotherapy in a post shared on social media in which she described the journey as "complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you."
“As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment," she continued in her message." The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.”
In March 2024, Kate revealed that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer. In November, William described the past year — which, in addition to his wife's diagnosis with cancer, saw his father, King Charles III, also diagnosed with cancer — as "dreadful."
“It’s probably been the hardest year in my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult,” he said during a trip to Cape Town, Africa, according to Sky News. “But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done.”
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