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In interviews and her journey since fighting cancer, Princess Kate has emphasized that recovery is full of ups and downs, and that the connection between nature and community allowed her to find hope in dark moments, which also extends to parenting her children.
Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, who has rarely spoken publicly about her battle with cancer, said that doctors told her that the road to recovery is “not a straight line” and that there will be “good days and bad days” and that being close to nature has been her refuge in her “darkest moments”.
According to the British “Daily Mirror” report, Kate revealed the news of cancer in March 2024 and announced that her condition was improving less than a year later. She recently gave an exclusive interview to Country Life magazine, a special issue guest-edited by Prince William, which will be published on Wednesday. Kate, 44, talks to author Robert MacFarlane about how to find peace in nature.
Kate said: “When I was in hospital I was told that my recovery would not be straightforward. There would be good days and bad days and it would take time. The same applies to nature, which teaches us that periods of rest, reflection and renewal are just as important as moments of growth.”
Kate described what nature has given as unique. She said: “It doesn’t make any demands of us, doesn’t judge us, doesn’t expect us to behave, it simply allows us to exist. It really is my refuge, a place where I intuitively want to be.”
When asked where she finds hope, Kate said it’s what nature teaches: No matter what challenges life throws at us, we are not alone and connected to something bigger than ourselves. McFarland said she found hope when she saw the community working together to protect the river. Kate replied: “I completely agree, it’s the sense of hope we find in our darkest moments. We need to find things we can do with others, find ways to connect with each other and give back to society.”
Kate also shared a photo of the kingfisher painted by Prince George in the interview. He has long emphasized the importance of outdoor play in his early childhood development advocacy work. She said her love of nature began in childhood, when she would play in streams, pick blackberries, or “just be alone in her own little world, enjoying the simplicity of ordinary things” and feeling a “freedom that is hard to find elsewhere.”
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When it comes to parenting, Kate said she did the same with Prince George, 13, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8. “That’s what I remind myself to do with my kids: Give them the freedom to explore instead of constantly telling them what to see and what to think,” she said.
Kate has previously spoken about her battle with cancer and how being in nature has helped her recover. When she visited Colchester Hospital last year, she talked about the calming power of nature and mentioned that she had tried alternative therapies during cancer treatment. He said cancer varies from person to person and patients face diagnosis and treatment in different ways. “The really good thing is to take a very individualized approach. What’s useful for one person, such as acupuncture, may not be useful for another person.”
He told cancer center staff and patients: “There’s a stage after treatment where everyone expects you to be cured and says, ‘Okay, here we go!’ But that’s not the case at all.” He said: “During the treatment, you wear a kind of brave mask and act calm. After the treatment, you want to say, ‘I can move on and get back to normal,’ but in reality the stage after that is very difficult. You are not necessarily still under the care of the medical team, but you are not able to live normally at home like before.”
“I think it’s really valuable to have someone at this stage to talk to you and push you forward,” he said. “You have to find your new normal, and that takes time.”
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He talked about how recovery is not a straight line. There will be good and bad days even after treatment, and it will take time to adjust to the new normal. He also emphasized that nature can bring stability and become one’s refuge in the darkest moments.
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Kate believes that nature does not judge or demand performance, but rather allows people to simply exist. It can remind people that rest, reflection and renewal are equally important, so she instinctively turns to nature when her body and mind are at their most vulnerable.
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She said she would also give George, Charlotte and Louis the freedom to explore, not rush to tell the children what to think or see, and encourage them to learn more about outdoor activities and a sense of freedom from the routine.
