LONDON (Reuters) – Kate, Britain’s Princess of Wales, said on Monday she had finished her course of preventative chemotherapy for cancer and would be carrying out a handful of public engagements later this year, but said her path to full recovery would be long.
Kate, 42, wife of heir-to-the-throne Prince William, underwent major abdominal surgery in January which revealed the presence of cancer and has been undergoing treatment since then.
“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 a personal message released by her office.
“The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. 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.”
Kate made her first public appearance since her health issues emerged in June at “Trooping the Colour”, the annual military parade to mark the official birthday of King Charles, and in July, she appeared at the Wimbledon tennis championships.
As part of the latest announcement, Kensington Palace released a highly-personal video of Kate with William and their three children which was filmed in Norfolk.
“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.
“This time 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.”
(Reporting by Michael Holden, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)
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