Princess Kate Chose When to Reveal She Was in Remission for a Very Good Reason and It “Speaks Volumes”
"It’s such a weird disease, it stops you and makes you evaluate and review your life," a patient who met the princess said.
Kate Middleton announced she'd completed chemotherapy treatment in September 2024, but the palace stressed that she wasn't considered to be in remission at the time. However, after the Princess of Wales made her first appearance of 2025 at the cancer hospital where she was treated, she shared a touching Instagram post sharing she was now in remission—a choice one patient shared was timed for a fitting reason.
During her visit to Royal Marsden Hospital's Chelsea site in London, Princess Kate met with numerous cancer patients, including Angela Terry, who told People about her encounter with the royal.
Terry—who was receiving treatment for EGFR-positive lung cancer at the hospital while the princess made her surprise visit—said that Kate showed compassion for patients by choosing not to mention she was in remission until she got home.
"It might have been difficult if she had come in talking about her experience about being in remission first because some people who are really very ill might never get to remission and that would have felt tricky," Terry told People. "But she chose to do that after she had left which speaks volumes."
The Princess of Wales spent time with patients at the Royal Marsden Hospital on Jan. 14.
Terry, who serves as a non-executive chair for EGFR+ Lung Cancer UK, also said she felt the Princess of Wales didn't owe the public an explanation about what type of cancer she had.
"It was a great message of hope because she looked so well," the charity chair said of the visit. "We don’t need to know what cancer she had. We just know she’s been through surgery, she’s been through chemo—and one year later, my goodness, look, she is here."
Reflecting on what it means to be in remission, she told People, "This disease changes you, but it also gives you an opportunity to think: 'Okay, who am I now? Who do I want to be?'" adding, "It’s such a weird disease, it stops you and makes you evaluate and review your life which can be exciting."
Another patient, Katherine Field—who was wearing a cold cap to prevent hair loss when she met Kate— told People that the Princess of Wales revealed she didn't use a cold cap herself. "She just said that she didn’t have to have it," Field shared. "For her to lose her hair, which is so iconic, would have been awful. Everyone loves her hair!"
As for the princess's reassuring message, she wrote on Instagram, "It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focussed on recovery. As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal. I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to."
