NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Kate Middleton says her chemotherapy is over: Five hidden meanings in the princess’ video

By Victoria Ward
Daily Telegraph UK·
9 Sep, 2024 08:29 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The Princess of Wales's announcement was filled with symbolism of what is most important to her and her family. Photo / Kensington Palace

The Princess of Wales's announcement was filled with symbolism of what is most important to her and her family. Photo / Kensington Palace

The Princess of Wales’ intensely personal video message is packed with symbolism and carefully chosen imagery.

The three-minute video, shot by Will Warr, the couple’s favoured filmmaker, in Norfolk last month, focuses heavily on the importance of nature and family.

It depicts the princess and Prince William, tactile and intimate; their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, at the centre of their world.

The positive tone, the laughter and playful scenes, demonstrate that Kate is looking to the future, hopeful that her darkest days are behind her.

Since her cancer diagnosis in January, the Princess has found sanctuary in the natural world and is keen to reflect on its importance. Photo / Kensington Palace
Since her cancer diagnosis in January, the Princess has found sanctuary in the natural world and is keen to reflect on its importance. Photo / Kensington Palace
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Nature as a source of comfort and sign of renewal

The footage is framed around the theme of nature.

Since her cancer diagnosis in January, the Princess has found sanctuary in the natural world and is keen to reflect its importance.

She has previously spoken of “the power of nature” in maintaining both physical and mental health and the imagery reflects this.

The footage shows the Princess leaning against a tree, eyes closed as she looks to the skies, touching the bark of a tree as she gazes upwards.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In other scenes, she is walking through a field of wheat, caressing the sheaves with her hand, beaming as she holds a yellow butterfly before it flutters into the distance.

Nature was a key theme in June, when the Princess delivered an update on her health, revealing that she had “good days and bad days” but was “not out of the woods yet”.

Her statement was accompanied by the image of her leaning on a weeping willow on the Windsor estate, again, taking strength and comfort in nature.

The joy and vitality conveyed in the latest footage is a far cry from the video message released by the Princess in March, when, seated on a bench alone looking pale and thin, she revealed that she was undergoing treatment for cancer.

The princess says: 'I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment'. Photo / Kensington Palace
The princess says: 'I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment'. Photo / Kensington Palace

Prince William as her rock

The film shows the couple interacting in a way never seen before.

The couple, usually intensely guarded in public, offer a rare glimpse into their private world as they lean on each other, kiss and clasp hands.

In various scenes, the princess leans her head on her husband’s shoulder, they lie together on their backs, arms wrapped around each other laughing and the prince affectionately plants a kiss on his wife’s cheek.

In the video the princess recorded in March, when she revealed she was being treated for cancer, she said that having the prince by her side was “a great source of comfort and reassurance”.

She mentions him twice in her latest statement as she shows how much she values his strength and support.

Their decision to let the world in on such personal moments might also reflect the “new perspective” they say they have each gained from their cancer journey, perhaps now recognising that others relate to such private experiences and vulnerability.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Kate Middleton and Prince William. Photo / Kensington Palace
Kate Middleton and Prince William. Photo / Kensington Palace

The importance of family

The prince and princess have always made clear that family comes first.

Family life is at the heart of this video as the couple spend quality time with their three children as well as the princess’ parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.

There are delightful shots of the family, arms wrapped around each other and laughing at the camera.

The children wield cricket bats, climb trees and run through the waves in the sea. They are shown playing cards outside and enjoying a picnic.

The images reflect the princess’ recognition of the “simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved”.

The princess said: 'I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life'. Photo / Kensington Palace
The princess said: 'I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life'. Photo / Kensington Palace

It is significant that the Middletons appear in one scene, playing a classic card game with the family around a dining room table.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The princess is extremely close to her parents and they have rallied round in recent months to provide invaluable support. Their inclusion in the video is a means of public recognition, a thank you for being there.

As an unprecedented glimpse into an idyllic family life, the footage is similar to that released by the couple in April 2021 to mark their 10th wedding anniversary.

That film, also shot by Warr, showed the family in Norfolk, frolicking in sand dunes, chasing each other through trees and collapsing on the grass in giggles.

Late Queen’s grainy family videos

Much of the footage is shot in an old-fashioned grainy style, which harks back to royal videos of old.

The late Queen and Prince Philip often captured family moments on camera or cine film and the style chosen by Warr is reminiscent of that footage from royal family holidays at Balmoral or on the royal yacht Britannia.

The princess was filmed driving her car. Photo / Kensington Palace
The princess was filmed driving her car. Photo / Kensington Palace

Driving a Land Rover

The brief footage of the Princess driving a Land Rover through the Sandringham estate demonstrates that she is well enough to be back at the wheel and in control of her life.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It is also reminiscent of the late Queen and Prince Philip, who were often seen driving themselves around the royal estates.

The late Queen relished such independence, particularly in her later years.

A close-up of the princess’ left hand on the gear stick shows she is not wearing her famous sapphire engagement ring.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

Dealing with the Sunday scaries? Here’s how to address your anxiety

22 Jun 03:00 AM
Lifestyle

Suzy Cato on overcoming redundancy, helping children, and why she's never met her biological father

21 Jun 07:00 PM
Premium
Lifestyle

Instagram wants Gen Z. What does Gen Z want from Instagram?

21 Jun 06:00 PM

Help for those helping hardest-hit

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Dealing with the Sunday scaries? Here’s how to address your anxiety

Dealing with the Sunday scaries? Here’s how to address your anxiety

22 Jun 03:00 AM

"I do feel kind of stuck. And I feel like a lot of people feel that way."

Suzy Cato on overcoming redundancy, helping children, and why she's never met her biological father

Suzy Cato on overcoming redundancy, helping children, and why she's never met her biological father

21 Jun 07:00 PM
Premium
Instagram wants Gen Z. What does Gen Z want from Instagram?

Instagram wants Gen Z. What does Gen Z want from Instagram?

21 Jun 06:00 PM
'Hero of my life': Tim Wilson on adoption, faith and fatherhood

'Hero of my life': Tim Wilson on adoption, faith and fatherhood

21 Jun 05:00 PM
Inside Leigh Hart’s bonkers quest to hand-deliver a SnackaChangi chip to every Kiwi
sponsored

Inside Leigh Hart’s bonkers quest to hand-deliver a SnackaChangi chip to every Kiwi

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP