The royal family‘s annual summer break couldn’t have come fast enough for Kate Middleton, as the Princess of Wales is still suffering emotionally and physically in the aftermath of her cancer battle, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Eight months after revealing the disease was in remission, Middleton, 43, has put on a brave public face for royal events while “struggling” at home with her family.
‘Still Struggling’
“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.
Prince William, 43, is looking out for his wife and making sure she gets plenty of rest before the royals’ summer break ends in September and their three children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, return to school.
“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 dished.
Royal Return
The princess has taken it slow when returning to royal life. She thrilled fans with her appearance at Trooping the Color in June, and wowed them by attending the men’s and women’s finals at Wimbledon the following month.
The light summer schedule has been part of William and Kate’s strategy “to gradually ease her back into working life.”
It was telling that the princess narrated but did not appear in a glossy short video titled “Mother Nature: Summer,” which features people enjoying the great outdoors in Britain under golden summer sunshine.
“So open your hearts: sing, dance, play. The days are still long, so simply love and be loved,” Kate gushed over lush scenic shots.
“Our lives flourish when we cherish the bonds of love and friendship. It has never been more important to appreciate the value of one another and of Mother Nature. Here’s to Summer. C,” the princess wrote in the caption of the August 13 social media post.
‘Pacing Herself’
“This summer is all about ‘pacing herself,'” the late Queen Elizabeth II‘s former spokeswoman, Alisa Anderson, revealed about Middleton.
“She gets so much sustenance in nature, and she’s lucky to have homes in some of the most beautiful parts of Britain, in Norfolk and on the Windsor estate,” Anderson raved. “She’s being sensible, listening to what her body is telling her and easing back into public life… she’ll be able to re-energize herself.”
Putting on a ‘Brave Face’
Following Trooping the Color, Kate was noticeably absent from the Royal Ascot horse racing event later in June, which William attended solo. She had been scheduled to attend but pulled out at the last moment.
The princess candidly revealed the “new normal” she was trying to adjust to life following her cancer treatment during a July 2 visit to a hospital garden, her next royal event.
“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult,” she explained.
“You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to,” Middleton continued. “And actually, someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment, I think is really valuable.”
She heartbreakingly added: “You have to find your new normal and that takes time … and it’s a roller coaster, it’s not smooth, like you expect it to be. But the reality is you go through hard times.”
Middleton revealed her cancer diagnosis in March 2024 after undergoing major abdominal surgery. She announced she had finished chemotherapy treatments in September 2024, before her big January news that she was in remission.