A royal reflection: Navigating cancer recovery in the public eye

At 4:30 pm on Monday, the 9th of September Kensington Palace released a short film in celebration of Princess Catherine's chemotherapy treatment ending. 

This was a royal equivalent of ringing the bell on the cancer ward. 

In a whimsical three-minute sepia-toned mini-film reminiscent of The Wonder Years opening sequence, Kate, William and their children frolic and laugh in the bucolic Norfolk countryside. And Kate delivers to us in a voiceover, the clear but stark message that it's been an "incredibly tough" nine months, but her treatment is over. 

Everything is in soft focus here. No hard edges and as with all good fairytales the wicked witch of cancer has been kept at bay. 

And yet...the tension remains. Staying cancer free is now the focus. And she must "continue to take each day as it comes." 

We know that Kate is a keen photographer, and the style of the film is a nod to her own photographic style—unobtrusive, documentary, nothing posed—all natural. It will be clipped up a million times on TikTok - already there is commentary on the platform from Vogue, CGTN Europe, CBS, ABC, GB News. This filled the newspapers front pages on Tuesday but it will have a far longer life on socials and the royals and their team know that. 

The length of it meant that the viewer got plenty - playfulness with the children, love between William and Kate (a new eternity ring for the keen-eyed) and the extended Middleton family playing cards. 

This is a more thoughtful and artistic video than the last one in which Kate announced her diagnosis. And necessarily so. 

The parasocial relationship that exists with the royal family is such that many consider they are an exertion of our own families and so as with any family - we get in each other’s business. 

This is a way for the royals to control their business. They own the narrative - they and they own the announcement of Kate's return to work. 

It was a delicate yet powerful portrayal of resilience and hope, conveying both the relief and the lingering tension that comes with being cancer-free. It also subtly reinforces the deep connection the public feels with the royal family but making this very much about steering the narrative on their own terms. 

The film serves as a celebration of recovery and a reminder of the journey ahead, ensuring that the story of Kate’s strength will resonate long after its release.