Prince William Shares Rare Update About Princess Kate’s Health

Heavy/Getty Prince William and Princess Kate

Prince William has given a rare update on his wife, Kate Middleton’s, health. Kate announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer in March 2024 (keeping the specifics of her cancer under wraps), and by September she had announced that she was officially finished with her chemotherapy treatments.

Now, while attending the Earthshot Prize awards in Cape Town, South Africa on November 6, William has shared an update about how Kate’s recovery process is going in a conversation with Sky News.

“She’s doing really well thanks. Hopefully she’s watching tonight and cheering me on. She’s been amazing this whole year and I know she’ll be really keen to see tonight be a success.”

Kate Middleton Shared a Statement After Finishing Chemo

In her March 2024 announcement, Kate confirmed in a video that she went through abdominal surgery in January of that year. “At the time, it was thought that my condition was noncancerous. The surgery was successful; however, tests after the operation found that cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I am in the early stages of that treatment,” Kate confirmed.

Months later, in her September 2024 update, Kate shared a video with her and William’s three children (Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6), and let her followers know, “As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment.

“The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you,” Kate added, recapping the emotional journey she went on while going through chemo. “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… Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”

Kate ended her statement with a note to others battling the disease, saying, “To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey – I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light so let that light shine bright.”

What is the Earthshot Prize?

William’s comments about Kate’s health came while he was in South Africa for the 2024 Earthshot Prize. William founded the prize in 2020 to help find innovative solutions to environmental problems facing the world. The name “Earthshot” is a play on President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 “Moonshot” challenge, which aimed to put a man on the moon.

According to the official Earthshot website, “Change is not yet happening fast enough or at the scale we need. Levels of climate anxiety and despondency are high and political interventions are happening too slowly. Despite all these challenges, we are optimists. We see genuine pathways to an era of regeneration and abundance. We want to unleash the urgent optimism required to accelerate and scale the environmental innovations that will repair and regenerate our planet.”

The ceremony brought in nominees from across the globe, with winners being announced in 5 categories: Fix our Climate, Build a Waste-Free World, Revive our Oceans, Clean our Air, and Protect and Restore Nature.