Kate Middleton Has “A Long Way to Go” In Cancer Recovery, Prince William Says

Less than a day after Kate Middleton announced that she has completed chemotherapy in a video that showed her family at their country home in Norfolk, Prince William gave a few more details about his wife’s health to a crowd of well-wishers in Llanelli, Wales. On his way to a school engagement in the small coastal town, the prince said, “It’s good news, but there is still a long way to go.”

In a three minute video released Monday, the Princess of Wales explained that her treatment had concluded and she was working “to stay cancer-free.” Lawrence Young, a professor of molecular oncology, explained the significance of the news in comments to The Guardian. “It is likely that by all current available tests—scans, blood tests—there is no sign of cancer,” he said. “This doesn’t necessarily mean that the cancer is completely eradicated, but the hope is that it is.”

The video was directed by Will Warr, a commercial director who appears on the Topjaw food video series and previously worked with the couple to make a video for the coronation of King Charles III in 2023. “It’s always an honor to produce films for @princeandprincessofwales, but this one was particularly poignant,” Warr said on his Instagram account. “Thank you to The Princess of Wales for trusting me to create this.”

The video was received emotionally by British presenters and commentators including Arthur Edwards, a royal photographer with a close relationship to the family. “In 40 years of covering the Royal Family I have never seen anything like Catherine’s video,” he wrote in an opinion column for The Sun. “It’s a first for the royals, and these wonderful three minutes of footage brings home just how grateful this young family are that their mum is over the worst.”

The princess’s brother James Middleton also responded on social media. “I couldn’t be more proud,” he said in the comments underneath Kate and William’s Instagram photos.

Kate, who announced her diagnosis with an unspecified cancer in March, said she hoped to return to “light work” following the end of her treatment. She has only undertaken two official appearances since Christmas 2023, a balcony appearance at Trooping the Colour in June and a trip to Wimbledon in July. Her aides told Vanity Fair that she is hoping to make an appearance at Remembrance Day services in November and plan her fourth annual holiday concert in December.

Though Kate’s health was a topic of conversation during William’s Tuesday outing, he was also focused on his remit as a holder of the historic title of the Prince of Wales. “It was so good to see Catherine looking well,” said Diane Griffith, one well-wisher in attendance. “You have a beautiful family.”

William responded, “Dialoch,” which is Welsh for “Thank you.” Unlike his father, who took a Welsh language course at Aberystwyth University before he took on the title in 1969, the prince has resorted to modern methods. William said that he has been trying to learn the language phonetically using Duolingo.

Upon his arrival at Swiss Valley Primary School in Llanelli, he watched as the student body sang a song in Welsh and Ruby Davies, a 10-year-old who won a competition for Welsh recitation earlier this year, performed for her class. In conversation with Davies later, William praised her performance at the Urdd Eisteddfod competition and asked her for a bit of help.  “I’ve watched your video a few times, Ruby,” he said. “It was very impressive—you’re going to have to teach me how to speak Welsh.”