The Princess of Wales has spoken candidly about her cancer journey, explaining she was told there would be “good days and bad days”.
She explained that the natural world sustained her through treatment and recovery following her 2024 diagnosis.
The Princess spoke to author Robert Macfarlane in an interview published today within a special commemorative edition of Country Life, guest-edited by her husband, the Prince of Wales.
She told the publication: “I was told in hospital that my recovery would not be linear. There will be good days and bad days, that it will take time. This is the same in nature.”
A new portrait by photographer Josh Shinner accompanied the piece, showing the Princess beside a tree in autumn sunlight.
Catherine described the outdoors as a “quiet teacher” during the hardest chapters of her life, stating that connection, trusted companions and peaceful surroundings “can be incredibly important during difficult times”.
She described the “lessons nature teaches” as her greatest source of hope, reminding her that “we are not alone and that we’re interconnected with something bigger than ourselves”.
Her affinity with the natural world began in childhood, playing in streams, picking blackberries — it was “simply time alone in my own world, enjoying the simplicity of ordinary things.”
The outdoors, she explained, offers something no other environment can. “It doesn’t ask anything of us. It doesn’t judge us or expect us to perform. It simply allows us to be. It really has been my sanctuary and a place I’ve instinctively wanted to go,” she told the magazine.
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The Princess also shared her approach to raising Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, saying she tries to give her children “freedom to explore, rather than constantly telling them what to see or what to think”.
She voiced concern about rising anxiety levels among young people in an era dominated by rapidly evolving technology, and suggested that time spent outdoors offers children a chance to nurture creativity and imagination away from screens.
Catherine has long advocated for the benefits of outdoor activity as part of her early childhood development work.
In the interview, the royal also highlighted the efforts of Mind Over Mountains, a charity that combines professional mental health support with time in nature. Earlier this year, the Princess took part in a wellbeing walk with the organisation in the Peak District.
Prince William turned the edition into a family project, featuring a kingfisher sketch drawn by his eldest son, Prince George. The 13-year-old, now studying at Eton, is understood to be passionate about drawing and completed the piece at home during the spring.
The Prince of Wales also wrote about his other children, Charlotte and Louis, and their family walks with dogs Orla and Otto, noting that all three youngsters share a love of exploring the outdoors.
In his leader column, Prince William wrote: “One day, George, Charlotte and Louis may ask me what I did to help communities thrive — we didn’t simply imagine a better future, we helped build it, so that someone else could build further still.”
The Prince spent six months collaborating with Country Life’s editorial team on the collectors’ issue, which also includes a feature on the Highgrove gardens and an interview with Aston Villa manager Unai Emery.
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