'Tis the season for getting candid, apparently.
On Friday night, at the fourth annual "Together at Christmas" carol service at Westminster Abbey, Kate Middleton made a rare comment about her cancer journey.
The carol service has been an important event for the Princess of Wales since its debut in 2021 and it's been one of the biggest events the royal has attended since she announced in September that she had completed chemotherapy.
Kate's candid moment about her health came during a chat with pop star and Together at Christmas performer Paloma Faith that was captured in a video that the U.K.'s Channel 5 News shared on X following the event.
The Princess of Wales has arrived at Westminster Abbey as she hosts her annual Christmas carol service tonight.It's the biggest event Catherine has attended since she's returned to public duties, following her cancer treatment.@leylahayes | #Royal pic.twitter.com/OK2uP09QAxDecember 6, 2024
"I didn’t know this year was going to be the year that I’ve just had," Kate explained when asked about her health, according to People.
"The unplanned," Faith replied, prompting the royal to nod in agreement and repeat, "The unplanned, exactly."
"But I think lots of people this year have had such challenging times, and many who are here today," Kate added.
This isn't the first time Kate has spoken publicly about her cancer journey.
"The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown," she revealed when she announced in September that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment. "The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything."
She added at the time that the experience had reminded her and her husband, Prince William, "to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved" and that she was entering this "new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life."
