Princess Kate says she has undergone ‘tough’ chemotherapy for cancer

LONDON — Kate, Princess of Wales, announced Monday that she has completed chemotherapy and will have few commitments until the end of the year.

“My goal now is to do everything I can to remain cancer-free,” she said in a video message, about six months after announcing that she had an unspecified type of cancer following intense public speculation about her health.

“The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family,” Kate said, adding that “the cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for anyone, especially those closest to you.”

“Humility also makes you confront your own vulnerabilities in ways you’ve never considered before, giving you a new perspective on everything,” Kate said.

Slow music plays as she delivers her message in voice-over in the video, which was shot in various locations including a forest, a beach and a field in Norfolk, a county in eastern England. She wears a long white patterned summer dress.

Sometimes she is seen alone, sometimes she is accompanied by her husband and heir to the British throne, Prince William, and her three children George (11), Charlotte (9) and Louis (6).

She expressed her gratitude for the support she and her family have received, saying: “Although I have completed chemotherapy, my road to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”

“However, I am looking forward to getting back to work and, if possible, making some more public appearances in the coming months,” she added.

Kate has made several public appearances since announcing her cancer diagnosis in a video in March, saying she was undergoing “preventive chemotherapy” on the advice of her medical team.

The Princess attended the men's final at Wimbledon with her daughter in July. The couple were accompanied in the Royal Box by her sister Pippa Middleton Matthews, 41.

In June, she took part in Trooping the Colour, a celebratory parade marking the British monarch's official birthday. Before the parade, she said in a statement that she was “not out of the woods yet” and had had “good days and bad days.” She said she was making “good progress” but her treatment would continue for several more months.

Kate announced her cancer diagnosis just a month after Buckingham Palace revealed that her father-in-law, King Charles III, had also been diagnosed with the disease when he was hospitalized for an enlarged prostate. The palace has stated that he does not have prostate cancer.

The video was released after months of intense speculation about Kate's health, after Kensington Palace – the official residence and office of the Prince and Princess of Wales – said she would step back from public duties while she recovers from planned abdominal surgery.

Neither Charles nor Kate have commented on what type of cancer they are suffering from or provided details about their prognosis.

But like Kate, the 75-year-old monarch has attended numerous other engagements since resuming his public duties earlier this year, including D-Day memorial services in France.

Next month he will also visit Australia and Samoa with Queen Camilla. The itinerary will cover 12 time zones.

While Charlotte visited Wimbledon, the princess and her brothers George (11) and Louis (6) have largely withdrawn from the public eye since their mother's operation.

Charles and Kate's illnesses have highlighted the challenges facing a shrunken royal family as the king vows to cut costs.

With fewer working royals available to conduct the grand opening ceremonies, state events and award ceremonies that make up the life of a modern royal family, the remaining family members are forced to take on more events.

So Camilla, Princess Anne, the king's sister, and his youngest brother, Prince Edward, had to bear the burden.