Kate Middleton made a touching return to the public eye on July 2, appearing at Colchester Hospital’s wellbeing garden to meet patients and quietly reflect on her personal experience with cancer.

The Princess of Wales, 43, helped plant a rose named in her honor — “Catherine’s Rose” — while speaking openly about the emotional aftermath of treatment. This marked her first public appearance since missing Royal Ascot last month, and her presence was met with warmth and admiration from staff, patients and members of the public.

Kate first revealed her cancer diagnosis in early 2024 and confirmed she had begun preventative chemotherapy. Though she shared in January that she was in remission, she has largely kept details of her recovery private — until now.

During Tuesday’s visit, however, she offered rare insight into what life has been like after treatment.

“You put on a brave face during treatment,” she told a small group. “Then it’s like, ‘Okay, I can get back to normal.’ But actually, that phase afterwards is really, really difficult.”

She added that while patients are no longer actively under clinical care, they often find themselves unable to fully function at home or resume routines as expected. “You have to find your new normal — and that takes time,” she said. “It’s not a smooth path. It’s a rollercoaster.”