This was no straightforward statement, however. The highly intimate footage showed Kate and William in their private roles as Mum and Dad, relaxing on the beaches of Norfolk with their arms around one another, laughing as they lay in the sand. They could be seen strolling through the woods with their children, George, Charlotte and Louis, as well as playing card games with Kate’s parents, Carol and Michael Middleton. Very few will ever have seen Kate and William engaging in such displays of affection – but here they were, like any other married couple, in recovery after a brutal diagnosis.
‘The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown,’ said Kate in the clip. ‘This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved. Despite all that has gone before, I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life. William and I are so grateful for the support we have received and have drawn great strength from all those who are helping us at this time.Everyone’s kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling. 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.’
Her words left the nation stunned. No one had seen the Princess, or indeed any royal, make such intimate revelations online before, but the outpouring of global affection and support was overwhelming. ‘You can’t go through something like that and come out the other side unchanged. She is a different person now,’ an royal insider recently told People magazine. The sense is that Kate has, following her cancer battle, changed fundamentally – and part of that change involves being more true to her own feelings and beliefs, even within the constraints of her royal role.
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