Kate Middleton has had a long year after her cancer diagnosis and remission. Now, new reports are coming out that the Princess of Wales lived a life “far from that of a fairytale princess” while she was growing up to now.
A friend of Kate dished to Radar Online that she had a very tough childhood. “She was bullied very badly at her previous school and she certainly looked very thin and pale,” Gemma Williamson said. “She had very little confidence.”
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Jessica Hay, a former friend of the Princess, said that she “hated” her time at boarding school in Downe House. “Some of the girls there were horrible,” she explained. “She was picked on because she was perfect, well turned out, and a lovely person. She was not the type to stick up for herself.”
The bullying also followed her time in university, when she first started dating the future king. “William’s friends would whisper rather snidely when Kate would turn up at Boujis, the nightclub in West London,” said royal commentator Katie Nicholl in the documentary William and Kate: Into the Future. “
What further caused distress in the Princess of Wales’ life was the rumor that William had cheated on her with Rose Hanbury. A friend recalled, “Kate was deeply upset by the speculation and dreaded the idea that her children might one day come across the claims on the internet.”
The latest update comes after Kate Middleton completed her cancer treatment and is in remission. “She is now a totally different person – it’s left her scarred.” In September 2024, the Princess of Wales announced she had completed chemotherapy, saying, “As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” Middleton said. “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.” She announced she was in remission in early 2025.
However, things will never look the same for Kate. “Behind closed doors, she’s still struggling emotionally and tires a lot more easily; it’s taking longer to readjust to royal life after her cancer treatment,” a palace insider claimed to RadarOnline in September 2025.
“She’s still not back to where she was before her diagnosis, and she’s not sure she ever will be, which is why she’s told William she needs a decent break before term starts in September. She’s unofficially stepped back from royal duties this summer – and of course, William is wholly supportive,” the source explained.
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