In July 2025, Princess Catherine made a heartfelt visit to a hospital garden, marking a personal milestone in her recovery. During the appearance, she spoke openly about the lingering challenges of her cancer journey, even after completing treatment.
In March 2024, the Princess of Wales shared news of her cancer diagnosis and the beginning of chemotherapy. She remained largely out of the public eye throughout the year. By September, she announced her chemotherapy had ended, and in January 2025, confirmed she was in remission.
Though she officially returned to royal duties in 2025, Catherine opted out of Royal Ascot on June 18. Sources close to her said she felt “disappointed” to miss the event with Prince William, but noted she was still “working to find the right balance” as she gradually resumed her public role.
Catherine and William hosted a quiet, private meeting with American philanthropist Melinda French Gates at Windsor Castle on June 25, just steps from their residence at Adelaide Cottage, where they reside with Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.
On July 2, 2025, Catherine visited Colchester Hospital in Essex to spend time in a tranquil well-being garden designed for patients, staff, and visitors. There, she planted several “Catherine’s Rose” bushes, which are a new pink variety named in her honor by the Royal Horticultural Society. Proceeds from the sale of the rose go to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which supported her during her treatment.
Fifty of the blooms were donated to Colchester Hospital, with 500 more going to green spaces across the United Kingdom, including Maggie’s cancer centers, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, and Horatio’s Gardens.
Catherine, a longtime advocate for the role of nature in healing, joined garden designer Adam Frost in the garden’s evolving work, a space shaped through a collaboration with the RHS, NHS Charities Together, and local partners.
At Colchester Hospital, during a conversation about her ongoing recovery, Princess Catherine offered rare insight into the emotional toll of life after cancer treatment. Speaking with honesty and vulnerability, she shared:
“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult.”
She went on to describe the often-overlooked period following medical care.
“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,” she said, continuing, “And actually, someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment, I think is really valuable.”
Catherine revealed this phase was profoundly personal and transformative, describing it as “life-changing” not only for patients, but also for their families. She acknowledged the process of adjusting to a new way of living.
“You have to find your new normal and that takes time…and it’s a roller coaster, it’s not smooth, like you expect it to be,” she remarked, concluding, “But the reality is you go through hard times.”
Those close to the royal family admired her approach, including Ailsa Anderson, the former spokeswoman for Queen Elizabeth II, who told PEOPLE:
“She’s being sensible, listening to what her body is telling her and easing back into public life.”
Chief Scout Dwayne Fields, who accompanied Catherine on a 2025 trip to the Lake District, shared:
“She would say, ‘During my recovery, I spent a lot of time in the outdoors because that’s where I felt at peace.’… That’s her superpower.”
Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith reflected on a 2024 image of Catherine beneath a tree:
“There she is in nature, which has fortified her, and looking upward in a sign of real hope and encouragement for everybody.”
