Catherine says she can now 'focus on staying cancer free'

The Princess of Wales has said she is doing what she can to "stay cancer free" after completing chemotherapy treatment and is planning to return to limited public engagements in the coming months.

- Harriet Sherwood

In a video message released by Kensington Palace, Catherine said she was relieved that her course of preventive chemotherapy was over after an "incredibly tough" and "scary" nine months.

Catherine had begun working from home on some projects and would return to a "light programme of external engagements for the remainder of the year", the palace said.

It indicated that it was not possible at this stage to say whether she was officially cancer-free. Patients are usually declared free of the disease when there has been no detectable cancer in the body for five years.

The princess's statement said: "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. vulnerabilities With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything.