Princess of Wales finishes chemotherapy, says she’s focused on staying ‘cancer-free’
Catherine, Princess of Wales, says she has finished her chemotherapy treatment and will focus on staying “cancer-free” as she begins a gradual return to work this fall.
In a video message released on Monday, Catherine said she was relieved to have finished her preventative treatment after an “incredibly tough” nine months for her family.
“Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus,” she said.
Though her treatment is done, Catherine said her “path to healing and full recovery” will be long. Kensington Palace said she hopes to take on “a handful” of public engagements over the coming months, noting that she has already begun to do some work from home.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, says in a video released by Kensington Palace on Monday that the last nine months have been ‘incredibly tough’ for her family, but she’s now in a ‘new phase of recovery’ after completing chemotherapy that should allow her to attend some public engagements in the coming months.
Catherine, 42, began treatment after major abdominal surgery in January revealed the presence of cancer. The palace has declined to give any further details about the type of cancer, the stage of her illness or other specifics about her treatment, other than to confirm the preventative chemotherapy started in February.
She made her first public appearance post-diagnosis in June at Trooping the Colour, the annual military parade to mark the official birthday of King Charles, and appeared at the Wimbledon tennis championships in July.
The video released by the palace Monday shows Catherine in Norfolk with her husband, William, Prince of Wales, and their three children: Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. Her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, are also seen playing board games with their grandchildren.
“The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you,” Catherine said in her statement.
“With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything.
“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.”
After the royal family released a video from Princess Kate saying her preventive chemotherapy has completed and that she would be appearing in a small number of public engagements this year, Londoners were overjoyed for her and her family. Some noted the public announcement as a marked departure from how the royals used to behave in keeping matters private.
‘Very personal’ update, royal editor says
The video, which was filmed last month in Norfolk, northeast of London, shows Catherine spending time with her husband, children and parents. She said she and William, who is heir to the British throne, were grateful for the messages of support they’d received from around the world.
Roya Nikkhah, the royal editor at The Sunday Times, said the princess was unusually candid about her emotions throughout the statement. The video, she said, was also very personal — especially with the appearance of Catherine’s parents, who are rarely seen with their daughter or grandchildren.
Roya Nikkhah, the Royal Editor at The Sunday Times, said Catherine, Princess of Wales, was unusually candid about her emotions in her Sept. 9 announcement about finishing chemotherapy treatment.
“[Catherine] has chosen to share a few of these very personal updates about how she has been feeling, how she’s felt, her outlook,” Nikkhah told CBC News in an interview Monday. “The words in the language together with the video…. they’re intimate.
“I think it’s a way of just showing the public she’s got through this with the support of her family.”
Read Catherine’s full statement:
“As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment.
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.
The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you.
With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything.
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.
Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.
I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.
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.”
Published at Mon, 09 Sep 2024 16:07:56 +0000
Israeli airstrikes kill at least 16 in western Syria
Israeli airstrikes killed 16 people in western Syria and wounded dozens more overnight, Syrian state media reported on Monday, the deadliest Israeli attack reported by Syrian authorities since the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus was hit in April.
There was no immediate comment from Israel, which typically remains silent on reports of strikes in Syria.
The Syrian state news agency SANA said Israel had launched the strikes at around 11:20 p.m. on Sunday and targeted “a number of military sites in the central region,” without elaborating on what was struck.
Syrian air defences had shot down some of the missiles, the source said. SANA cited a local health official as saying 36 people had been wounded, six of whom were in serious condition.
Two regional intelligence sources said a major military research centre for chemical arms production located near Masyaf, in Hama province near the Mediterranean coast, had been hit several times. They said it was believed to house a team of Iranian military experts involved in weapons production.
WATCH | Syrian militias among the Iran-backed foes of Israel:
Sitting on the edges of the Israel-Hamas war is what’s been called the Axis of Resistance, a loose coalition of Iran-backed entities, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis in Yemen. CBC chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault breaks down the conditions that could cause the group to engage in a wider war and the firepower behind it.
Syria, Iran condemn attacks
The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack as an act of blatant aggression. In addition to the 16 fatalities and 36 wounded, it had caused “material damage to some residential areas,” it said in a statement reported by SANA.
Iran’s foreign minister’s spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said Tehran strongly condemned the “criminal attack” in Syria. Kanaani denied it was a chemical production facility.
Syrian state media also reported that the strikes caused two fires, which firefighters were working to extinguish.
Israel has for years been targeting what it has described as Iranian or Iran-backed targets in Syria, where Iranian forces and Tehran-backed militias deployed widely to support President Bashar al-Assad during Syria’s civil war.
It has stepped up the campaign since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault on Israel from Gaza, including the April 1 attack that hit the Iranian Embassy compound and killed senior Iranian commanders, including one of Tehran’s top generals.
Published at Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:30:28 +0000
