The Princess of Wales laid bare how much of a rollercoaster her cancer recovery has been – and royal expert Jennie Bond says it’s been incredibly refreshing

The Princess of Wales has broken royal convention and surprised us all by candidly talking about her rollercoaster recovery from cancer treatment, according to a royal expert.

In her first public outing since cancelling an appearance at Royal Ascot, Kate spoke of the pressure of putting on a “brave face” once treatment ends and admitted, “everybody expects you to be better, but that’s not the case at all”.

During a visit to meet cancer patients and the RHS Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital, she talked about how there was often an expectation that following treatment, cancer patients “crack on, get back to normal”. But she cautioned that the “very scary, very daunting experience” did not end once treatment was over, with patients needing to take time to find their “new normal”.

The Princess of Wales during a visit to Colchester Hospital in Essex (
Image:
POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
And former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror how it serves as a stark reminder of everything she has been through since early 2024.

She explained: “The Princess has taken us all by surprise again by speaking from the heart in emotional terms about how cancer has changed her life.

“The past 18 months have clearly shaken her to the bone – both physically and mentally. On her recent public appearances she has looked so poised, so happy and so confident – but now she is asking us to understand that, underneath the brave face, she is sometimes still struggling. I think everyone will feel huge sympathy for her and admiration for the way she has decided to shine a light on the long process of recovering from cancer.

“For those of us lucky enough to have not been faced with a cancer diagnosis, it’s almost impossible to understand the full impact of such a life-changing moment. Catherine is now part of the club no one wants to belong to, but she could prove to be its most valuable member.

Kate chats about her experiences to patients and staff (
Image:
Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace)
“The Princess has decided to speak frankly and emotionally about all that she has been, and is still, going through. This is a break with royal convention, but her words have a reach and an impact that virtually no other cancer survivor could match. I think it’s incredibly refreshing for us to be told exactly what is going on and how Catherine is feeling.”

In her most personal and extensive insight into her cancer journey, Kate also opened up about how her experience also impacted her home life behind closed doors – despite treatment ending.

She explained: “The phase afterwards is, you know, difficult as 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.”

And she added: “It’s life-changing for anyone, through first diagnosis or post-treatment and things like that, it is a life-changing experience both for the patient but also for the families as well.

Kate plants a ‘Catherine’s rose’ in the Wellbeing Garden (
Image:
PA)

“And actually it sometimes goes unrecognised, you don’t necessarily, particularly when it’s the first time, appreciate how much impact it is going to have. You have to find your new normal and that takes time…and it’s a roller coaster it’s not one smooth plain, which you expect it to be. But the reality is it’s not, you go through hard times.”

And Jennie believes that Kate’s words may lead to people having a new understanding about her current life.

She explained: “Now we can all understand that there have been, and will be, times when the Princess just doesn’t feel able to appear in public. She is, in her own words, still riding a rollercoaster and trying to come to terms with her ‘new normal’.

“We know now that she has been putting on her ‘brave face’ at times when she still hasn’t felt able to function normally. She paints a graphic picture of the mental struggle to get on with life when the treatment has ended.

“Other cancer patients have spoken of this difficult transition from being under intense medical supervision to being told the treatment is over and everyone expects you to return to normal life. As the Princess makes clear, ‘normal’ is not the same for her as it once was.

“Her decision to speak so frankly is certain to resonate with cancer sufferers all over the country, indeed the world. Her words will spark a valuable discussion about the various stages of the cancer journey – and how it is different for everyone but universally difficult.

“Part of Catherine’s salvation is her love of nature and she is keen to promote a holistic approach to recovery. I’m sure the publicity she has given to this approach will encourage other centres and hospitals to establish peaceful gardens for patients to enjoy.

“By speaking out, Catherine is turning her ‘daunting and scary’ experience into something positive that will hopefully help others. And I think everyone will now show a bit more understanding.”