The Princess of Wales will use her personal experience with cancer treatment and work with creative organisations to promote well-being(Image: PA)
The Princess of Wales has set herself a new goal to promote “the power of creativity” to bring families and communities together.
The future queen wants to combine her personal experience recovering from cancer, where she immersed herself in nature to aid her treatment, with her role as patron of arts organisations to inspire people to prioritise their well-being.
Mum-of-three Kate is working with royal aides to create a new programme of public engagements, as well as specific projects for the coming year, which will centre on highlighting the importance of connection and quality human relationships.
The princess is set on redefining her public role by sharing further details of how she approached her treatment plan throughout 2024, by “focussing on joy” as a form of therapy.
The Princess of Wales wants to use her personal experience of recovering from cancer treatment to help others(Image: PA)
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The princess on Friday made a surprise appearance at Charing Cross Hospital in London, deciding to join husband Prince William to show support for under pressure NHS staff who worked tirelessly throughout the Christmas and the start of winter. Kate also spoke to patients about the use of creative and arts therapy in aid of their treatment.
A royal source said: “The Princess was speaking about her own experience, and this is certainly something she will explore further in the future. It is her absolute belief that her recovery was aided by immersing herself in nature, focusing on the joy of being creative as well as being around loved ones. The healing power of creativity is definitely something that has resonated throughout her work and will be explored further in the future.”
The princess was diagnosed with cancer in February 2024, following a two week hospital stay due to serious abdominal surgery.
She then took an extended break away from royal duties to concentrate on her recovery, only making brief appearances at Wimbledon in the summer, the King’s official birthday celebrations in London and her annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.
On completing her chemotherapy treatment, in September 2024 she released a video alongside her family promising to stand shoulder to shoulder with those facing their own battles, 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.”
Throughout her treatment, Kensington Palace and the princess said she aided her recovery throughout her six month ordeal, by being “grateful for the simple yet important things in life”.
The Princess of Wales has spoken of immersing herself in nature to aid her recovery from cancer (Image: KensingtonRoyal)
In 2025, the princess took part in three State Visits at Windsor, welcoming the presidents of France, the United States and Germany. She also increased her duties from a scaled back schedule the previous year.
A royal source said the princess is now concentrating efforts to structure her public work on shining a light on organisations that promote this type of lifestyle for overall physical and mental health benefits for all.
“That will mean working with people and organisations in the arts world, music, mental health programmes, as well as those who work in the healthcare system.”
The Princess has not travelled abroad since December 2022 when she accompanied husband Prince William to Boston, USA, for his annual Earthshot Prize awards.
While the Prince of Wales is planning an official trip back to the United States this summer for the World Cup, there are as yet no plans for Kate to join him.
However, royal sources suggest that the princess has shown interest in organising a solo trip abroad at some stage in the future to learn from other cultures about how well-being is prioritised in different communities.
The Princess of Wales spoke to patients at Charring Cross hospital about enjoying art and creative projects to help her recovery(Image: Ryan Jenkinson / Kensington Palace)
In February 2022, as Duchess of Cambridge, Kate travelled to Copenhagen on a two-day solo working trip which focused on learning from Denmark’s world-leading approach to early childhood development as part of her work with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
Kate joined in playtime with schoolchildren in Copenhagen in 2022, as part of a fact-finding mission with her work on early years development(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
On Friday, as she celebrated her 44th birthday, the princess released the final of four in a series titled ‘Mother Nature’, where she appeared in short films to promote well-being in the natural world.
Kate said she had spent winter reflecting on how “deeply grateful” she is as she was forced to contemplate her own mortality after receiving her diagnosis.
Across footage of locations including Norfolk, Cumbria, Gloucestershire, London, East Sussex and The Cotswolds, she said: “Even in the coldest, darkest season, winter has a way of bringing us stillness, patience and quiet consideration. Where the stream slows just enough for us to see our own reflection.
“To discover the deepest parts of ourselves. Alongside the whispers in the pulse of every living thing. I find myself reflecting on how deeply grateful I am.
“For the rivers within us flow with ease, fears washed away, cleanse and purify. Come to peace with our tears and discover what it means to be alive. To be at one with nature; a quiet teacher and a soft voice that guides. In memory. Helping us to heal.”
The princess’s birthday on Friday fell just days before the first anniversary of her announcement at the start of 2025 that she was in remission from cancer. Friday’s video shows Kate wearing a long green coat with a hat and scarf while on an early morning walk in Berkshire.
The video was accompanied by a personal post signed with a C, which read: “The Mother Nature series has been a deeply personal, creative reflection on how nature has helped me heal. But it is also a story about the power of nature and creativity in collective healing. There is so much we can learn from mother nature, as we look to build a happier, healthier world. C”