Yesterday saw a post shared on social media that thousands (if not millions) of people had been waiting for: confirmation that the Princess of Wales is now cancer-free following a course of chemotherapy treatment.
In the softly shot video, Kate Middleton narrates how her experience of cancer has impacted both her and her family’s life. Her husband, Prince William, and her children all feature. An unexpected production credit tags Will Warr, who is one half of the YouTube foodie series, TopJaw, as the filmmaker. It is an incredibly intimate look at (arguably) the most famous family in the world, and it has already been liked over two million times and flooded with supportive comments.
Kate is a senior member of the royal family, so it’s par for the course that the Princess would share an update on her health – much as King Charles has been doing, while dealing with his own cancer diagnosis this year. However, the way in which the Waleses have gone about it – a cinematic yet personal ‘home movie’ style video, with thoughtful narration from the Princess – is something entirely new. Really, a three line statement explaining that the Princess has finished chemotherapy and is now focussing on her next phase of recovery would’ve been absolutely fine. Great, even. Considering the news is so positive.
Instead, the future King and Queen decided to open up their world a little and share off-the-cuff moments from Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the latter of whom at one point approaches the camera to ask if it was currently filming. The video also features Kate driving her own car, with the camera operator sitting close beside her in the passenger seat, as well as the Prince and Princess holding hands, lying together, laughing. Being the perfect image of a supportive couple who is very much in love.
This is quite a departure from the usual royal images and videos we are presented with, which maintain a more emotionless and surface level persona – but it’s strongly suggested that this new and more open style of communication with the public could be here to stay.
For the first time in years, the Prince and Princess of Wales have even changed their Instagram account’s profile picture. Their previous was an image of the pair cliffside in Ireland in 2020, where Kate has her arm around William’s waist – it is now a still from the video, showing them holding hands, sitting on a tree trunk with legs entwined, as Kate throws her head back in laughter. It’s a definite intimacy step-up from the previous picture. There’s no royal pageantry involved, they’re in casual clothes (the future King is in trainers!). When you consider who is sharing it, it is an incredibly candid shot (well, as candid as a shot-for-a-mega-social-media-announcement film can be).
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The landscapes chosen are neutral and nature-filled. The clothing is deliberately (somewhat) affordable – Kate is seen wearing Veja trainers worth £120 in a scene where she watches Louis climb a tree, while in others she wears a Veronica Beard dress costing around £500. All of which would also have been taken into account when plotting the film.
Hearing the Princess speak about how cancer has made her reflect on what’s really important in life is also suggestive that we’re moving into a new era of royal honesty and relatability. She’s talking with real emotion.
“The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you,” she can be heard saying. “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. This time has above all reminded William and me 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.”
While it might not be an influencer-level vlog, detailing what the family eat for breakfast, their thoughts on the upcoming US election or Kate doing a clothing haul, it’s the closest we’ve ever come to a reality show with this branch of the Wales family to date.
Back in 1967, the royal family worked with the BBC on a fly-on-the-wall documentary, which viewers of The Crown will know received… a mixed response. While the efforts of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip to open the doors to their (incredibly large) home was intended to connect them more to the general public, many felt it backfired and cemented the divide between ‘us and them’ – and subsequently the Queen had the film banned. Not before it had been seen by 38 million people in the UK alone, of course.
It seems the Prince and Princess (and their PR team) have learnt from that experience too, along with the Kate Middleton conspiracy theories the Princess was needlessly subjected to earlier this year while trying to deal with her cancer away from the spotlight.
Nothing that the royal family shares is done without serious consideration. But this latest video feels like an olive branch to the public, a promise to show more humanity when it comes to those who live within the Palace walls – while still keeping a healthy and respected distance.
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Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
