Princess Kate provides update on cancer treatment, announces first public appearance in months

London – Catherine, the Princess of Wales, gave a rare update on her health on Friday, saying in a statement that she was still undergoing chemotherapy for an undisclosed form of cancer and had “a few months” of treatment remaining, but that she was making “good progress”. Princess Kate, as she is often called, also announced her first official return to public life.

The princess said in her statement, which she also posted on social media, that she would attend a major military parade with her family on Saturday to mark the birthday of King Charles III.

Kate was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and has remained out of the public eye as she undergoes her chemotherapy treatment, which she described in March as “preventative.” Without saying more about her health, her office said she would not return to public duty until she received clearance from her medical team.

She was seen once, visiting a farm store with her husband in early March, several weeks before announcing her diagnosis, but Saturday will be her first official public appearance since she was hospitalized for abdominal surgery in January. It was during this procedure that the cancer was detected.

Kate said in her statement on Friday that she “isn’t out of the woods yet” and has been “blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. It has really made a world of difference to William and me and helped us both through some of the most difficult times.”

Kensington Palace released a new photo of Kate on Friday in conjunction with its statement, believed to have been taken earlier in the week at the royal family’s estate in Windsor, west London.

“I’m making good progress, but as anyone who goes through chemotherapy knows, there are good days and bad days. On those bad days, you feel weak, tired and you need to let your body rest. But on good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling good,” she said.

Kate said she has been working from home and will start doing a little more on the days she feels well enough to do so.

Kate did not show up the Colonel’s Review last Saturday, an official dress rehearsal for the annual Trooping of the Color parade which marks the official birthday of the British monarch. The parade of colors is a tradition that dates back to the 18th century and does not coincide with the monarch’s actual date of birth, which for Charles, 75, is in November.

Kate is an honorary colonel in the Irish Guards, and the military unit shared a letter on social media in late May in which the princess apologized in advance for missing the parade rehearsal.

“Being your Colonel remains a great honor and I am truly sorry that I will not be able to receive the salute at this year’s Colonel’s Review,” Kate wrote in the letter. “Please pass on my apologies to the entire regiment, but I hope to be able to represent you again very soon.”

Kate’s father-in-law, King Charles III, was also received a diagnosis of unspecified cancer earlier this year and is undergoing treatment. He returned to public duties and said he would attend the Trooping of the Color parade, although he said he would ride a carriage rather than horseback for the procession.