Kate Middleton Gives Cancer Update And Shares New Photo

Catherine, Princess of Wales, said she is making "good progress" with her chemotherapy treatment in a rare public statement about her health.

The former Kate Middleton revealed in March that she was diagnosed with cancer after a planned abdominal surgery in January. She shared that she was in the "early stages" of preventative chemotherapy at the time.

Catherine's June 14 statement marks her first comments on her cancer treatment since announcing her diagnosis. She revealed that she has "a few more months" of chemotherapy left and that she has "good days and bad days" as she continues her treatment.

Accompanying her statement, the palace released a new picture of the princess. In the photo, she wears jeans and a tan blazer and looks pensive standing against a tree.

Kate, Princess of Wales, poses in a new photo. Courtesy Matt PorteousKate Middleton gives health update

In her message, the princess thanked people for "all the kind messages of support and encouragement" she's received since March.

"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," she said.

Her treatment is "ongoing" and will continue for "a few more months," she said.

“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,” the princess said in her June 14 statement.

In closing, the princess shared that she is “learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty.”

“Thank you so much for your continued understanding, and to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me,” she said.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reacted to the princess' statement with his own message of encouragement.

"The Princess of Wales’ statement will be especially meaningful to those who are fighting cancer and for their families," Sunak said on X June 14. "They will recognise the same struggle in her words and draw hope and inspiration from her strength."

He added, "I know the whole country is behind her."

Kate Middleton to attend Trooping the Colour 2024

Kate also confirmed that she will attend King Charles III’s birthday parade, a ceremonial event also known as Trooping the Colour, with her family June 15.

She hopes “to join a few public engagements over the summer,” she said in the statement, adding, “I am not out of the woods yet.”

Charles is “delighted that The Princess is able to attend tomorrow’s events, and is much looking forward to all elements of the day,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said in a statement.

Trooping the Colour honors the king’s birthday, though Charles’ birth date is in November. The king will be at the June 15 celebration, Buckingham Palace confirmed to NBC News May 30.

Charles has also undergone treatment for cancer this year. The palace announced in February that the king had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer. He returned to official public duties in April.

Kate will attend Trooping the Colour alongside her husband, Prince William, and three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. They will arrive in a carriage down the Mall, and she is also expected to make a balcony appearance.

Kate did not attend the Colonel's Review on June 8, which serves as a dress rehearsal for Trooping the Colour. The princess was named the honorary colonel of the Irish Guards in 2023, a role that involves representing the guardsmen at the Colonel's Review. James Bucknall took the salute in Kate's place, and the princess sent a note to the Irish Guards apologizing for her absence.

The princess has not participated in royal appearances since her family's annual Christmas church outing in 2023. Trooping the Colour will be the first royal event she has attended since, though she previously took time to review a report from an initiative she's involved in, The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, a senior palace aid confirmed in May.

She has been working from home occasionally, including some meetings when she feels well enough.

Read Princess Kate's full statement about her health

A WRITTEN MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCESS OF WALES

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.

What kind of cancer does Kate Middleton have?

Kate Middleton has not shared what kind of cancer she was diagnosed with. The cancer was discovered after she underwent planned abdominal surgery in January.

What is preventative chemotherapy?

In Kate's March video message, she said she was in the "early stages" of preventative chemotherapy.

Preventative chemotherapy refers to a treatment conducted after an initial intervention to prevent cancer from returning, Dr. Ben Ho Park, director of precision oncology at Vanderbilt School of Medicine, previously told TODAY.com

“There are some cancers ... where we have to make decisions (as to) who should get additional chemotherapy after surgery and who should not,” Park says. “We base that off things like the stage of the cancer, the type of cancer, and even ... the age of the patient sometimes to determine whether or not giving chemotherapy after surgery will improve outcomes.”

Maddie Ellis

Maddie Ellis is a weekend editor at TODAY Digital.