Watch video Princess of Wales released with cancer update

We want to get straight to some breaking news that we are following out of England. Kensington Palace is giving an update on the health of Catherine, the Princess of Wales. Catherine has been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer since the beginning of the year. She made a public announcement via video of her diagnosis back in March. I want to now bring in CNN royal historian Kate Williams to just help us understand what more we've heard from the palace and what more we're learning right now. Yes, well, we've had a very significant update. We've had the update that Kate has said she has finished her chemotherapy treatment, and that really is wonderful news. So she says she obviously when she started the chemotherapy treatment in February, she's now finished it. And what she's given this statement really about how she sees her life in the next few months to come. So what she said is that she's going to return to some public engagements, light schedule of public engagements at the moment. And next year, well, we'll see what happens. And, you know, she gives us very personal statement. She said the cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, and it brings you face to face with your own vulnerability. So this is a very heartfelt message from Kate thanking people for their support, talking about how their what they've been through was a family. She, William and the children. And she says looking forward to the future with hope because she's finished the chemotherapy. And as she says, her focus now is on remaining cancer three cancer free and continuing her progress of healing. Yeah, and Kate, if you can stand by for a moment because I think we now actually have that video statement that we'd like to watch together. As the summer comes to an end. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to finally completed my chemotherapy treatment. 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've had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown. The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. You have with humility. It also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you've never considered before. And with that, a new perspective on everything. It just me and up. 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 as simply loving and being loved. Us. Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long, and I must continue to take each day as it comes. I am, however, looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can. Despite all that's gone, before I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life. William and I are so grateful for the support we've received, and have drawn great strength from all days for happiness at this time. Everyone's kindness, empathy and compassion has been truly humbling. Any way we thank you to all those who continue their own cancer journey. I remain with you. Side by side. Hand in hand. Out of darkness can come. Light. So let that light shine. Be. Let me bring Kate back into the conversation. Okay. You know, my takeaways. And just watching it. Obviously very heartfelt. also extremely vulnerable. Your reactions from watching it. So heartfelt, so vulnerable. Talking about her vulnerabilities, talking about, you know, how hard it's been and how much they've all suffered as a family and what they've been. So I think that this this is filmed in Norfolk near their home and the hall, that's my guess. It looks to me as if it's that coastline. And, you know, I think this is where Kate spent a lot of her time in recovery. Spent a lot of her time during the summer. Being together as a family and really, this is unprecedented. This is unprecedented. We have this senior royal who's come out and been so honest and transparent about their health and also honest and transparent about how hard it is, how hard healing is. And really it's so it's just so touching to read her saying to everyone else on your own cancer journey. I'm still with you and and her expressing this honesty that it's a long road ahead even though she's finished. Chemotherapy has so many people going through cancer treatment now. Just finishing chemotherapy, that's not the end of the story. There's much more, a lot of a process after that. And we really will be delighted to see her return to public events. But obviously, as much as she can manage Kate, is it clear when that might happen or what event that might look like? Well, we haven't been given any particular dates, she said, taking it day by day. That's what the palace is also saying. We have seen her briefly over the summer. We saw her that she of the color, we saw her Wimbledon, and I think we may see her at a few local engagements in the next few months to come. We certainly expect to see her on remembrance Sunday in early November, but certainly we will not be seeing how many foreign trips William will be doing, his foreign trip alone, and big engagements, big receptions. Probably unlikely to see her there. And it may be that by Christmas she feels strong enough to embark on a full program of engagements next year. It may not the Palace really is saying here that they're going to take each day as it comes. It's hard to predict and that although Kate's been working from home, it's going to be a big step going back into engagements because they can be very exhausting. yeah. Kate. William, so great to have your insights and perspective today on this, this big news obviously for the royal family. Thank you. Let me now bring in from CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard. Jacqueline, she said that it's been nine incredibly tough months as her family as she has now finished her chemotherapy treatment. Talk to us a little bit about medically, what chemotherapy does to your body and sort of how, significant it is now after nine months that she appears to be finishing her treatment. Oh, yeah. Real well. Well, this is, you know, great news to hear that she has completed her treatment. But like you said, the story does not end here. We do know that for many patients, there can be short term and long term side effects with chemotherapy short term or the ones that we often think about, like hair loss or nausea. But long term, some patients can experience neuropathy that's, you know, feeling a nerve tingling nerve sometimes nerve damage. We know that some patients continue to feel some fatigue. We know that some patients can even sometimes experience, changes in their weight. Sometimes they may experience heart problems or even mood changes. So these are sometimes the long term effects that we often, don't see. So, so frequently when we think about chemo treatment and some of the side effects patients may experience. Now, we we still don't know much information as far as, Kate Middleton's cancer type. But we also don't know this stage. But we do know the news that she did share with us today about finishing her chemo treatment and then moving forward. What we can expect is I'm sure her medical team will do some follow up appointments with her, will continue to monitor over time. And like I said, for some patients, we're how we sometimes see those, long term side effects. Yeah. And Jacqueline, I wonder too, just in terms of managing any potential fatigue or exhaustion. I mean, as your body sort of recovers from this. how that factors into I mean, she, she clearly said in the video it's it's going to be a more reduced schedule in terms of public appearances, but how that factors into how you move forward. Absolutely. I'm sure I'm curious the conversations that she she may be having with her medical team as far as just the schedule, the workload that she's willing to take on at this time. We did hear, like you mentioned, she has been, working from home. We can imagine that because of the fatigue, we may see a shift in the amount of appearances that she may have moving forward. But overall, it does appear like this is a moment that she seems to be really celebrating and highlighting. Having completed this, treatment course. And again, we have to wait to see how much of a public, schedule she will have moving forward. Yeah, yeah. Very good points, Jacqueline Howard. Thank you.