Princess Kate, 44, recalls warning that cancer recovery would not be linear

In an interview published Wednesday in Country Life magazine, Catherine, Princess of Wales, recalled being told in hospital that her cancer recovery "would not be linear." She described nature as her sanctuary.

Her husband, Prince William, guest-edited the special issue featuring the interview with Robert Macfarlane, an author whose work explores landscapes and the living world. Catherine, 44, told Macfarlane that nature and her recovery were "definitely connected" when he asked about the relationship between the two.

"There will be good days and bad days, that it will take time," she told Country Life. Catherine added, "This is the same in nature. It shows us that periods of rest, reflection and renewal are equally as important as moments of growth."

Catherine said the outdoors "doesn't judge us or expect us to perform". "It really has been my sanctuary and a place I've instinctively wanted to go," she said.

Thinking about flow and movement, she said, had helped her. The natural world "is hardly ever stagnant; if it is, it's rarely healthy," she said.

"What I feel really passionate about, having had first-hand experience, is approaching illness and recovery through a whole-person approach," Catherine said. She added, "Yes, serious illness creates a lot of physical challenges, but there is also a deeper part to all of us."

She described nature as "such a restorative environment" and said "incorporating nature into someone's recovery pathway is vital." Catherine called Mind Over Mountains, a charity that brings together walks in nature, mindfulness and time with wellbeing counsellors, "wonderful."

When Macfarlane asked where she finds hope, Catherine turned to nature's lesson "that, despite the challenges life may throw at us, we are not alone and that we're interconnected with something bigger than ourselves." Macfarlane said watching communities help protect rivers gave him hope.

"I couldn't agree more," Catherine replied. She continued, "It is the sense of hope we find in the darkest of times. We need to find the things that we can do alongside others, ways to connect and give back."

Catherine traced her love of nature to childhood, recalling blackberry picking, playing in streams and "simply time alone in my own world, enjoying the simplicity of ordinary things." She said she reminds herself to let her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, explore freely instead of always directing what they see or think.

In 2024, Catherine revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer and spent much of the year away from public view. She finished chemotherapy in September 2024, People reported, and announced in January 2025 that she was in remission.

In June, she climbed Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis and Snowdon over 24 hours for the National Three Peaks Challenge, raising money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity's new Centre for Holistic Wellbeing and Recovery. "Cancer doesn't just affect the body," she said at the time.

Catherine visited Dose of Nature in October at Pensford Field in Kew, southwest London. The charity promotes mental health through connection to nature, and she told former participant Tom that "our journey has been very, very different" but that nature had helped her heal too.

William, 44, follows King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Princess Royal in guest-editing the weekly magazine. The issue features George's drawing of a kingfisher on a branch, which he made when he was 12.

On the issue's publication day, Catherine visited The Chase Community Hospital in Bordon, Hampshire, through her work with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.