Kate Middleton has completed her chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
“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,” the 42-year-old Princess of Wales wrote Monday on social media.
The announcement included a video with Kate, Prince William and their three children.
Though Kate has completed chemotherapy, she said her “path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”
She said she plans to participate in more public engagements, which she has largely avoided since undergoing unspecified abdominal surgery in the middle of January.
“Despite all that has gone before I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life,” she said. “William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time.”
The video announcement marked a rare public statement from the Princess of Wales, who announced her diagnosis in a similar video on March 22. Since then, she only appeared in public twice, at the Trooping of the Colour on June 15 and the Wimbledon men’s singles final on July 14.
Monday’s video showed Kate, William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis exploring the woods and wandering in fields together. The family spent most of the summer in Norfolk at Anmer Hall, their country home. They also spent some time in Scotland at Balmoral Castle.
“The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you,” Kate said Monday. “With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything.”
Kate’s specific diagnosis has not been announced by the royal family. Her father-in-law, King Charles III, was also diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, and his exact prognosis was not revealed either.
“To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey – I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand,” Kate said to conclude Monday’s video. “Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.”
