Catherine, Princess of Wales, has issued the first substantial update about her health since revealing in March that she has an undisclosed form of cancer.
The British princess, said Friday in a statement that she has been “blown away” by the messages of support and encouragement she has received since announcing her diagnosis and while she undergoes preventative chemotherapy, which is given after primary treatment and intended to reduce the risk that the cancer will come back.
Catherine, 42, said she’s making “good progress” in her treatment but also asserted that it is “ongoing” for a few more months and that she is “not out of the woods yet.” Neither the palace nor the princess have said what stage of cancer she was diagnosed with, only that it was discovered after she had abdominal surgery in January.
The former Kate Middleton, an upper-middle-class commoner who married into the British royal family in 2011, on Friday also said that she feels well enough to attend 76th birthday festivities for her father-in-law, King Charles III, over the weekend. She plans to take part in “a few public engagements over the summer” as well.
“I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal,” she said.
Read the full message, which was posted Friday on Prince William and Princess Catherine’s official Instagram account, below:
I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times.
I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.
My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.
I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet.
I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.
Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me.
This story is developing.
