Princess Kate Wants Her Children to Know She's "Strong Enough" Following Cancer Diagnosis

"I'm sure that's on her mind, if she's strong enough to cope with it."

Kate Middleton and Prince Louis attend the Platinum Pageant for the Queen's Jubilee on The Mall on June 5, 2022.
(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Princess Kate shared her cancer diagnosis with the world in March 2024. Since then, reports have suggested Kate won't "be rushed" when it comes to raising her childrenPrince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Now, a royal expert has claimed the princess "wants to be strong for her children" while she undergoes cancer treatment.

In an interview with The Sun, royal expert Phil Dampier discussed how the Princess of Wales is handling her cancer diagnosis. "I think Kate has got a sort of inner core of steel," he explained. "She's quite a sort of steely character and... reminds me a little bit of late, Prince Philip."

Luckily, Kate's "inner strength" has reportedly served her well as she continues to raise her three children while managing her health conditions. "I think she's very much pulled on those reserves," Dampier said, before noting Kate was likely a "stronger character" than William. As a result, the Princess of Wales' resilience has allegedly been incredibly important for the entire family. "[E]ven though she's the one who's got the got the illness, in many ways she will be the stronger of the two in getting through it, and mainly, of course, she wants to be strong for her children," Dampier said.

Kate Middleton, Prince William, and their three children with the Dean of Westminster Abbey at the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 08, 2023.

The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children attend the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service at Westminster Abbey on December 08, 2023.

(Image credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

While any parent would want to ensure the well-being of their children, Kate's kids are all living in the spotlight as members of the British royal family. As such, the Princess of Wales likely has an added layer of concern regarding George, Charlotte, and Louis. "She wants them to know that she's going to be okay and I'm sure that's on her mind, if she's strong enough to cope with it, then that will spread to William, and indeed to the children," Dampier explained in his interview.

After taking a step back from her official duties, Princess Kate has made appearances at Trooping the Colour and at the Wimbledon men's tennis final in 2024. "It's very good sign that we've seen Kate twice in recent weeks," Dampier explained, "...so clearly she's a lot better." He continued, "It indicates that she is clearly on the mend, and hopefully she'll be back in action in a month or so, in the autumn."

However, Kate is unlikely to rush her return to public life, instead reintegrating herself slowly into official events, Dampier suggested. "You know we can expect to see her start to gradually, slowly do some public engagements, but, as I said earlier, it will totally depend on the on the medical advice," he told the publication. Meanwhile, Princess Kate and Prince William are due to spend the summer with their children in Balmoral.

Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.