The Princess of Wales received chemotherapy away from fellow cancer patients.
Being the Princess of Wales doesn’t always have its advantages. When Kate Middleton received her cancer treatment, she kept the details of her type of cancer and its respective stage hidden from the public. Though she was able to receive treatment at Royal Marsden Hospital, Middleton couldn’t interact with other patients going through chemotherapy—an experience that likely made her feel alone during treatment.
“Going through the back door unseen while going through the treatment must have been pretty lonely,” a royal insider told People. “When you see these other people when they’re having their chemotherapy, they were doing it as a group, with a support mechanism.”
Middleton alluded to the privacy that she had to maintain while receiving treatment. “I had to do it privately and quietly but being on a ward like this has to be reassuring in a way?” she said while speaking at the Royal Marsden Hospital with cancer patients. “Everyone said to me, please keep a positive mindset, it makes such a difference.”
Though the Princess of Wales didn’t have a network of fellow cancer patients to connect with, her family offered her a steady stream of support. Over the past year, her husband Prince William has stepped up for her, with an OK! source reporting that Middleton felt “touched” by his willingness to help her.
“He’s shouldered a lot of the responsibilities, and, what’s more, he seems to be having fun doing it,” the source said. “Kate has seen the change, and she’s genuinely touched by all that he’s doing, not just for her, but for the children.”
Carole and Michael Middleton, as well as Kate’s siblings Pippa and James, were also “so pivotal and important,” as she battled cancer, Vanity Fair royal expert Katie Nicholl revealed in an interview with The Sun‘s “Royal Exclusive.”
As for what that support might have looked like, The Daily Express reported that Pippa has become Kate’s shoulder to lean on throughout her treatment. “They were already genuinely best friends, but this grueling year has seen them grow even closer,” a source explained in July. “Pippa has been something of an angel and backbone for Catherine. She’s there at the drop of a hat, helping to pick up the slack on physical tasks when needed. But it’s the emotional support she provides that is invaluable to Catherine.”
