Catherine, Princess of Wales, focused on staying 'cancer free' after chemo ends

LONDON, United Kingdom — Catherine, Princess of Wales announced Monday that she was cancer-free but on a long road to "full recovery", in a highly emotional video message following a shock cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

The heartfelt announcement will provide welcome relief for Britain's royal family after a troubled year in which head of state King Charles III also revealed he was battling cancer.

"I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment," Kate, as she is often called, said in a message on X and Instagram.

The princess, 42, said the last nine months had been "incredibly tough" for the family -- her husband Prince William and their children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.

"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 said.

Catherine, a future queen seen as a key figure to maintain the royals' position in a changing Britain, added that "doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus."

"Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes," she said.

"I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can."

Catherine announced in March that she was undergoing a course of "preventative chemotherapy" for an undisclosed cancer.

The announcement came just weeks after it was disclosed that her father-in-law had also been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing treatment for a benign prostate.

Charles, 75, was given the green light to resume public duties in April after doctors said they were "very encouraged" by his progress.

He was seen on Saturday with his wife Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family at the Braemar Gathering Highland Games, and attended a church service to mark the second anniversary of his accession to the throne.

Monday's video message shows Catherine and William looking relaxed and happy with their children in the Norfolk countryside and at the beach in eastern England where they have a home.

The couple are