The Princess of Wales spoke today of the pressure of putting on a ‘brave face’ through cancer treatment and recovery, where ‘everybody expects you to be better – but that’s not the case at all’.
Kate, 43, who is continuing a slow and measured return to public life while in remission from cancer, said there was an expectation that patients ‘crack on, get back to normal’.But, she said, the ‘very scary, very daunting experience’ did not end with the conclusion of treatment, with patients needing to take time to find their ‘new normal’.
She also revealed that she had tried acupuncture – a traditional Chinese medicine in which practitioners insert thin needles into specific parts of the body to promote healing and relieve pain – as part of her own recovery process.The deeply personal words from the Princess came as she met fellow patients at a cancer wellbeing centre at Colchester Hospital, helping to plant roses in a garden designed to help visitors find peace.
The Princess, who in January announced she was in remission from a undisclosed form of cancer, recently cancelled an appearance at Royal Ascot, with aides stressing that she had always made clear her return to public life would be staggered.Describing a cancer diagnosis as ‘life changing’ and the treatment and recovery a ‘rollercoaster’, the Princess spoke of the importance of a holistic ‘mind, body and spirit’ approach.She repeatedly emphasised the importance of patients and their families being able to find support through their illness, saying it was too often difficult to reach.
The Princess of Wales during a visit to the RHS’s Wellbeing Garden at Colchester HospitalKate today opened up about her cancer recovery journey as she spoke with patients in the hospital’s wellbeing centreKate, 43, looked stunning in a smart Blazé Milano beige blazer with pinstripes, retailing at around £1,000, and matching Ralph Lauren shirt as she visited the RHS’s Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital today.She added the Auree Bali birthstone necklace, with a gem marking her birth month of January.The royal added tailored brown trousers and a black belt – while giving a more casual effect with rolled up sleeves and white Veja Esplar leather trainers – and adding her engagement ring and Cartier watch.Speaking to patients and volunteers inside the centre, she said: ‘There is a whole phase when you finish your treatment, everybody expects you to be better – go! But that’s not the case at all.’She said: ‘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 difficult.‘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.‘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.’She added: ‘You have to find your new normal and that takes time.’The centre provides therapy, community groups and holistic treatments including reflexology.Kate even had the opportunity to plant the ‘Catherine Rose’ herself, alongside staff who volunteer in the gardenDespite rainy weather, the Princess looked practical and stylish upon her arrival today.The Princess enjoyed a cup of tea as she met with patients and staff this morningThe princess also did a walkabout and met staff and volunteersKate, 43, looked stunning in a smart striped blazer and matching shirt as she visited the RHS’s Wellbeing GardenKate, 43, looked stunning in a smart striped blazer and matching shirt as she visited the RHS’s Wellbeing GardenThe visit coincides with the donation of 50 Catherine’s Rose plants, named after the princess by the RHS with funds from sales going to the Royal Marsden Cancer CharityThe Princess of Wales planting a rose during a visit to the RHS’s Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital in EssexThe princess, speaking to therapist Amanda Green during a walkabout in heavy rain afterwards, disclosed that she had not yet tried reflexology but had undergone acupuncture as part of her own health journey.
The visit offered the princess’s most personal and extensive insight into her own experience to date, seeing her reference her own ill health several times while offering empathy to other patients and families.‘It’s life-changing for anyone,’ she said. ‘Through first diagnosis or post treatment and things like that, it is a life-changing experience both for the patient but also for the families as well.‘And actually it sometimes goes unrecognised, you don’t necessarily, particularly when it’s the first time [of diagnosis], appreciate how much impact it is going to have.‘You have to find your new normal and that takes time… and it’s a rollercoaster, it’s not one smooth plane, which you expect it to be. But the reality is it’s not, you go through hard times.‘And to have a place like this to have the support network, through creativity and singing or gardening whatever it might be is so valuable and it’s great this community has it.‘It would be great if lots of communities had this kind of support.’Speaking to patients, including those whose cancer has returned and one who had lost his husband to cancer, Catherine asked how the centre had helped them.Kate even had the opportunity to plant the Catherine Rose herself, alongside staff who volunteer in the garden
The Princess then visited Colchester Hospital’s Cancer Wellbeing Centre and met with patients and staff
