Kate, Princess of Wales, announces she’s in remission from cancer

Catherine, the Princess of Wales, said Tuesday her cancer is in remission, about 10 months after announcing her diagnosis. Princess Kate made the announcement on social media after visiting the London hospital where she received treatment.

“It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focussed on recovery,” she said in her post on Instagram after visiting the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. “As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal.”

The princess had announced last March that cancer was discovered following an abdominal surgery and she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy.

In September, she said she had finished chemotherapy. She spoke about receiving the cancer treatment during her visit Tuesday. “It’s really tough,” she said, according to the Associated Press. “It’s such a shock.”

Kate spoke with patient Katherine Field about the chemotherapy port that’s used to deliver the treatment, saying, “I got so attached to it,” and joking that she was almost reluctant to have it removed, according to the AP.

On social media Tuesday, Kate said she visited the hospital to thank the staff “for looking after me so well during the past year.”

“My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything,” she said, referring to her husband, the Prince of Wales. “We couldn’t have asked for more. The care and advice we have received throughout my time as a patient has been exceptional.”

Kensington Palace also announced that she and William have become patrons of the hospital.

“My hope is, that by supporting groundbreaking research and clinical excellence, as well as promoting patient and family wellbeing, we might save many more lives, and transform the experience of all those impacted by cancer,” Kate said on social media.

Since 2007, William has held the role of the hospital’s president. His mother, Princess Diana, also held that position, according to the palace. The hospital is known as a world-leading cancer center with three sites in London.

Kate spoke with other patients as well as doctors and nurses during Tuesday’s visit, according to Britain’s Press Association news agency.

“The body is amazing at telling us ‘you need to take time out,'” she said after learning about a man’s diagnosis.

She also talked about receiving her cancer diagnosis, according to the news agency.

“It’s the uncertainty of that initial diagnosis,” she said. “It’s such a wealth of information. Understanding the diagnosis, it’s a massive amount of information to take on as a patient. Having that continuity, in the clinical setting and outside in the home setting, is so important.”