Prince William gives update on Princess Catherine’s health

The Prince of Wales shared insight into how Catherine and their children are coping amid his wife’s cancer battle.

Prince William has reassured the public the Princess of Wales is “doing well” as she continues preventative cancer treatment while stepping back from public royal duties.

Speaking of his wife Catherine’s condition while visiting a suicide prevention charity, the Prince of Wales revealed that she and their three children are “all doing well, thank you. Yes, we’re doing well.”

William was replying to wellwisher Julie Cain, 60, during an impromptu walkabout where he opened James’s Place, a centre offering support to suicidal men in Newcastle, in North East England, a region with the highest rates of male deaths in the country.

Prince William speaks with well wishers after he visits James' Place Newcastle, a charity that provides help to men experiencing suicidal crisis in the region. Picture: Getty Images

Draped in the Union Jack, Ms Cain asked the Prince: “Do you mind if I ask how your wife and children are?”, to which he smiled and answered that the family, which is negotiating a difficult time, is managing well.

Inside the centre, William, 41, listened intently to Dean Stewart from Gateshead, in Tyne and Wear, who told him he battled persistent thoughts of self-harm as well as a gambling addiction.

Afterwards, Mr Stewart said he believed William’s visit would help raise awareness about the centres and “one million per cent” help save lives.

Prince William during the opening of James' Place Newcastle. Picture: Getty Images

Earlier in the day, William visited Low Carbon Materials, in County Durham, in North East England, a finalist in his 2022 Earthshot Prize.

While visiting the climate tech company’s development laboratory, he learned how it was developing low-carbon, next-generation construction material alternatives.

The princess announced she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy in a two minute and fifteen second video on March 22.

She was admitted to hospital in January for successful abdominal surgery and revealed how learning that traces of cancer had been present came as “a huge shock.”

Prince William reacts during his visit to Low Carbon Materials to learn more about how they are working to create low-carbon construction material alternatives since becoming a 2022 Earthshot Prize finalist. Picture: Getty Images

The Princess said she was “well and getting stronger every day” but asked for privacy to allow her to focus on her recovery and ongoing treatment.

The Wales’s have been keen to shield their children from the public while the news of her diagnosis was still fresh and spent the Easter with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at their Norfolk estate.

Catherine has stepped back from royal duty since making the announcement.

Kensington Palace says she will return to work when she feels able and ready.

Prince William listens to men affected by suicide as he visits James' Place Newcastle. Picture: Getty Images

KATE AND WILLIAM RELEASE UNSEEN PIC FOR ANNIVERSARY

Catherine and William released a previously unseen portrait from their wedding day taken at Buckingham Palace to mark their 13th wedding anniversary.

The couple released the black and white image, taken by their preferred photographer and friend, Millie Pilkington, on Instagram and Twitter/X writing simply, “13 years ago today!”

Prince William and Princess Catherine have released a previously unseen portrait of themselves to mark their anniversary. Picture: Instagram

The jovial image depicting Prince William resting his hands on his wife’s hips encapsulates the young couple’s nuptial bliss, when he was 28 and she was 29.

The Wales’s are celebrating their wedding anniversary privately at their Windsor Estate as they continue to negotiate a difficult period, while the Princess continues with preventive treatment for cancer.

Prince William and Princess Catherine leaving Westminster Abbey after their royal wedding followed by Maid of Honour Pippa Middleton with pageboys Master William Lowther-Pinkerton, Master Tom Pettifer and bridesmaids The Lady Louise Windsor. Picture: Getty Images

It’s hard to believe it has been 13 years since the future King and Queen of England tied the knot in a fairytale wedding.

The 2011 royal wedding was an event for the world with approximately 160 million tuning in, but it was also a milestone for Prince Harry who wrote in his memoir, Spare, that he experienced sadness on the day.

Queen Elizabeth II (C), Carole Middleton (L) and Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall after the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Kate. Picture: AFP

CANCER DIAGNOSIS CAME AS ‘A HUGE SHOCK’

Princess Catherine is the third member of the royal family to battle cancer, with her father-in-law King Charles revealing his own diagnosis earlier this year, and Sarah Ferguson undergoing a mastectomy last June, and later confirming she was being treated for unrelated malignant melanoma.

While Catherine’s cancer diagnosis may have come as “a huge shock”, at 42 she is the age category which accounted for the biggest increase for cancer diagnosis among Australians.

The Princess has publicly praised Prince William for his support during what she called “an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family”.

Catherine Middleton arriving at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London, England. Picture: Getty Images

13 years ago today!

📸 Millie Pilkington pic.twitter.com/lzK6GRT7Ak

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) April 29, 2024

“The surgery was successful,” she said at the time, adding, “However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present.

“My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.

“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.

“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.

“But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be okay.”

The newly released photograph of the couple comes a day before King Charles was due to return to public duties after spending the last three months undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.

Originally published as Prince William gives update on Princess Catherine’s health