Kate Middleton's Cancer Journey
- Kate Middleton, 44, says nature helped her heal during and after cancer treatment. She shared the reflection during a private visit to Dose of Nature, a London mental health charity that offers “nature prescriptions.”
- In March 2024, the Princess announced that tests after major abdominal surgery revealed cancer had been present, and she began preventative chemotherapy. She announced she was in remission from an undisclosed type of cancer in January 2025.
- Spending time outdoors has long been linked to wellbeing, and research suggests nature-based activities may ease anxiety, stress and fatigue for people affected by cancer. SurvivorNetTV’s Between Two Harbors explores how time outdoors and near water can support recovery after difficult treatment.
- Support matters both during and after treatment. Ask your care team about support groups, community organizations and other resources that can help you connect with others who understand.
The 44-year-old mom of three described feeling connected to nature as a way to cope “without knowing what’s to come, without having the control in your life of knowing what the future might hold,” as reported by British outlet LBC.
Read MoreFor cancer survivors, the Princess’s words touch on something often left unspoken. Finishing treatment doesn’t end the worry about what comes next.
Research shows that fear of cancer recurrence is one of the most common challenges survivors face. In fact, a 2022 review published in the journal Psycho-Oncology notes that care for this fear is considered the most common unmet need among cancer survivors.
Studies also suggest that time in nature may ease anxiety and stress and help people cope with cancer.
Healing Through Nature & Support
Further Embracing Nature, With Her Family by Her Side
The Princess’s connection to the outdoors goes beyond words. In June, she took on the National Three Peaks Challenge, and on October 25, she and Prince William marked Mountain Rescue Awareness Day by sharing a never-before-seen family photo from the day she completed it.
The image shows the couple with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and captures a sweet moment of embrace between Kate and William after she finished.
In their post, the couple thanked the volunteers “who respond in all conditions, often at a moment’s notice, to help others when they need it most.” They said meeting local mountain rescue teams during the challenge was a chance to thank them in person for keeping walkers and climbers safe year-round.
For a woman who credits nature with helping her heal, it was a powerful full-circle moment, less than two years after finishing chemotherapy.
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Nature has been a recurring theme for the Princess. In June, she wrote a personal essay for The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, titled “Creating the conditions for love to flourish through nature & creativity.” Though the essay focuses on children, many of her reflections read differently in light of her own health journey.
She wrote that in a screen-heavy world, people increasingly long to reconnect with themselves, each other and the natural world.
“By spending time in nature or being creative, we can nurture the very skills and emotions that cannot be digitised: awareness, empathy, humility, and above all, love,” she wrote.
She also touched on healing directly, suggesting it is rooted in the bonds we form early in life, further writing, “If healing later in life is about rediscovering our most important connections, then perhaps the real task is to ensure that they are never lost in the first place.”
Kate Middleton Journey With Cancer
In September 2024, Middleton shared a milestone in her recovery: she had finished chemotherapy. She announced it in a moving video posted to social media that showed her enjoying time outdoors with her family.
“As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” she said in the Instagram post.
She described the previous nine months as “incredibly tough for us as a family,” adding, “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.”
Middleton had previously revealed that tests following “major abdominal surgery” found that cancer had been present. In the video, she reflected on how unpredictable the experience had been for her and the people around her.
“The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you,” she said. “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.”
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She said the experience had pushed her and Prince William to slow down and appreciate what matters most. The period, she said, “has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved.”
Middleton made clear that finishing treatment didn’t mean her journey was over. “Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now the focus,” she wrote on Instagram. “Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long, and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”
She gradually returned to royal duties that fall, and in January 2025 she announced she was in remission.
The Power of Nature
We’ve all heard that nature has healing powers in the past. SurvivorNetTV’s “Between Two Harbors” looks into how time spent outdoors and around water can truly help people to recover after dealing with health issues or difficult cancer treatments.
“Between Two Harbors”: Nature’s Hand in Healing
The documentary, here and on SurvivorNetTV, follows a group of individuals as they battle cancer and showcases a one-of-a-kind recovery program in the scenic Catalina Island. Through their inspiring stories and strength, it becomes abundantly clear just how much our mindsets can be affected by our surroundings.
The program puts the focus on mindset while those featured are either going through treatment, or the recovery process, and invites them to enjoy the open water with activities like surfing, paddling, kayaking, and sailing.
The takeaway from Between Two Harbors is clear: a positive mindset can make all the difference during life’s toughest moments.
Check this documentary, plus so many other inspiring stories out on SurvivorNetTV!
Coping With Mental Health Long Term
People may turn to many different avenues to help them cope with mental health struggles, such as traditional therapy, support groups, meditation, and sometimes medical intervention such as antidepressants.
When faced with a new challenge, it’s important to make sure that these coping mechanisms you have to care for your mental health continue to work throughout the process.
“I think flexibility is really a core of how to manage it,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, previously told SurvivorNet. “Are your coping strategies that you’re using now, are they helpful in the way that they were in the past?”
SurvivorNetTV Presents: Breaking the Cycle The Power of Mindset
Dr. Boardman encourages people who may be struggling with their mental well-being to take stock of their belief system and ask themselves the following questions:
- Could these beliefs be harming me (like feelings of self-doubt or negativity)?
- Is my mindset holding me back from positive steps forward?
Dr. Boardman suggests working to recognize any negative thoughts that may be making the process of cancer treatment more difficult, and trying to dismantle those to be more “realistically optimistic.”
Remember, taking care of your mental health isn’t always easy, but it should always be a priority. One place to start is simply being aware of how you’re feeling and reflecting on any changes you’ve noticed in your emotions or behaviors.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, you should see a professional if you are experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted two weeks or more, such as:
- Trouble sleeping
- Changes in appetite
- Struggling to leave bed in the morning because of your mood
- Trouble concentrating
- Loss of interest in things you normally enjoy
- Inability to perform normal daily functions and responsibilities
It’s important to try to get help before your symptoms of a mental health issue become overwhelming. Talk with your primary care doctor about any concerns you’re having, so they can refer you to a mental health professional if needed.
Therapy can also be a way of taking care of your mental health. But know you might need to shop around for the right therapist. Ovarian cancer survivor Ni Guttenfelder says finding the right counselor allowed her to work through the complex emotions of her cancer battle.
“One of the things that my counselor has taught me from the very beginning that has helped me is the concept of acceptance,” she said. “Acceptance is a process. It’s like downloading a computer file in increments. Visualizing it in that way has really helped me.”
Meditation and practicing mindfulness can also be great tools in mental health care. Dr. Deepak Chopra, acclaimed author and pioneer of mindfulness movement, previously spoke with SurvivorNet about mindfulness. He says asking yourself who you are is the first step on the path to practicing mindfulness.
“If we can combine our actions in the world with reflective self inquiry, love and compassion, and a state of secure, stable, ornamental, peaceful being without the addictions that humans have, then we can begin our journey of healing,” Dr. Chopra explained.
Dr. Brian Berman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at University of Maryland, takes SurvivorNet through a guided meditation
In addition, medications can also help people with a mental health illness. They are not necessary for everyone, but medications can make a difference. And there should be no shame attached to taking them.
That being said, it can be tricky to find the right one and your needs may change over time. Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says genetic testing through Genomind can help. It gives a profile of how a person is likely to respond to different types of psychiatric medications.
MORE: How Can Genetic Testing Help Determine the Right Form of Mental Health Treatment?
“Doing the genetic testing has absolutely transformed the landscape of psycho-pharmacology,” Dr. Plutchik told SurvivorNet. “It’s something that I highly recommend for anybody that is taking medication, whether they are being treated for cancer, or not.
“I recommend it for children who are taking medication. I recommend it for elderly people. Anybody who is taking medication, I think, can greatly benefit from genetic testing.”
Try This Simple, Guided Grounding Exercise to Help Manage Anxiety
Getting a cancer diagnosis or coping with mental health issues can certainly be overwhelming, but there are certain ways to help control any negative or racing thoughts coming on by using grounding exercises, or certain techniques to stay in the present.
Dr. Kysa Christie, a clinical psychologist in the hematology and oncology clinic at the West Los Angeles VA Healthcare Center, shared a simple grounding exercise with SurvivorNet that can be used as an easy go-to tool to help manage anxiety.
If your thoughts are racing or you’re feeling “anxious, nervous, a little emotionally overwhelmed,” it can be “helpful to do some grounding exercises,” Dr. Christie tells SurvivorNet, explaining that it’s a way of getting your mind “focused on the present rather than wherever it’s racing off to.”
There are many simple ways to go about this that can have real benefits, according to Dr. Christie.
“You might think, okay, let me come up with 20 sports teams and I’m just going to sit here and rattle ’em off. Give yourself a minute or two to do that,” she says. “Then let me come up with 20 different things I see in this room.”
“Again, it’s a way of getting your mind here where you are in the room, rather than the worries that are starting to carry those thoughts away,” Dr. Christie adds.
Elsewhere in the interview, she also shared a simple breathing exercise.
“One of my favorites is belly breathing, so kind of putting one hand on your belly, one hand on your chest, let your shoulders relax, and if you’re standing, kind of really notice where your feet are touching the ground,” Dr. Christie says. “If you’re sitting, notice where your butt and legs are connected with the chair, sink in for a second.”
“The belly breathing is designed to, as you breathe in, your hand should lift up a little bit like a balloon, and as you breathe out, your hand goes down. As that balloon deflates, what that’s doing is giving your body a chance to reset,” Dr. Christie explains.
Dr. Christie explains how/when to try ‘belly breathing.’
“So when we’re nervous, when we’re scared, we tend to breathe from our chest, and those breaths tend to be more shallow,” she continues. “So if you’ve got one hand on your chest, one hand on your belly, you can notice where is this breath coming from and try and breathe from your belly.”
“Let that lower hand rise and then let it fall. If you notice it’s coming from your chest, these more shallow breaths. Just again, try and focus your attention, bringing your attention to your belly, where your hand is, and breathing in, and then breathing out.”
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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