Princess Catherine may be making progress amid her cancer journey, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a very difficult time for her and her family.
As the whole world saw, Kate Middleton stepped out for the first time since her cancer news to attend King Charles III‘s Trooping the Colour parade over the weekend, showing just how far she’s come since her diagnosis earlier this year. While she seemed in great spirits, insiders are now opening up about what it’s really been like behind the scenes. Ailsa Anderson, the former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, told People on Thursday:
“She might be the Princess of Wales, but she is still a mother and wife and going through the same set of emotions and worries and fears as anyone else in that set of circumstances would be.”
She’s only human!
It’s normal to be struggling with “fears” while facing cancer treatment, especially since chemotherapy is no joke. An insider close to the royal household shared:
“The treatment is punishing, and it is different for different people. And the side effects can be unforgiving.”
Spending time with her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and continuing to do daily tasks when she’s able has helped the 42-year-old stay strong throughout this health journey. Her kids, especially, are also great motivation to make the best of her “good” days during this medical scare. Royal historian Amanda Foreman explained that dynamic a bit more to the outlet:
“The children won’t remember Mummy shaking hands or really care. But they will recall Mummy making cakes [or when] she went off to the local shop and bought something or took them somewhere.”
Similarly, this is likely why Kate went out of her way to attend her father-in-law’s birthday parade. Royal author Sally Bedell Smith recalled the event and what it was like to see Kate and Charles (who are both battling cancer) standing side by side, noting:
“It would have been difficult to tell that either the King or the Princess had been ill and undergoing some pretty rugged treatment.”
True! They both looked fantastic considering the circumstances. But more importantly, it was just a relief to see them all together. Another royal insider acknowledged:
“Family is really important to the Princess of Wales, and she wanted to be there to support her family.”
We’re sure it meant a lot to everyone — and it was probably also so motivating to her! She’s been through so much and had to sacrifice a lot while she puts her health first, so getting to attend an important family event must’ve been exciting. We hope she continues to lean on those around her for support as she continues to face this battle, and remembers the whole time that she’s not alone in this fight!
