Kate opens up about ‘difficult phase after treatment' as she meets with hospital patients after dropping out of Ascot
The visit marks her first public appearance since dropping out of Ascot at the list minute as she 'had to find the right balance' on returning to full time duty.
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Princess Kate spoke to NHS staff about a 'difficult' phase after treatment
Credit: PA
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The royal visited the RHS's Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital in Essex today
Credit: Reuters
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Kate announced her cancer diagnosis in March 2024
Credit: AP
The Princess visited RHS Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital, in Essex, today.
She met with NHS workers and planted some of her 'Catherine's Rose' plants in the recovery garden.
Kate spoke about life after cancer treatment, and told staff: "You know I think there's a lot of brave faced stoicism through treatment, but then treatment's done.
"I think the phase afterwards is really difficult, I mean, you know, you're not necessarily in a clinical team any longer, but you're not able to function normally at home as you once used to.
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"And actually, someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that phase that comes after treatment, I think it's really valuable to have a space like this here for patients."
She added: 'But it's life changing for anyone, through first diagnosis or post treatment and things like that, it is life changing experience both for the patient but also for the families as well.
"And actually it sometimes goes unrecognised, you don't necessarily, particularly when it's the first time, appreciate how much impact it is going to have.
"You have to find your new normal and that takes time…and it's a roller coaster it's not one smooth plain, which you expect it to be.
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"But the reality is it's not, you go through hard times and to have a place like this to have the support network, through creativity and singing or gardening whatever it might be is so valuable and it's great this community has it, it would be great if lots of communities had this kind of support."
Kate announced her
She finished chemotherapy in September and announced she was in remission in January of this year.
The royal's visit today coincided with donations of 50 'Catherine's Rose' plants named in honour of Kate.
Funds from sales will go to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
And, the roses will be donated to gardens across the country including cancer hospitals.
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The Princess also met with garden designer Adam Frost this afternoon.
Credit: Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace
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Kate spoke about the difficulty of returning home after treatment
Credit: Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace
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500 'Catherine's Rose' plants will be donated to wellbeing and community gardens across the UK this summer
Credit: Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace
Kate stepped out in a Blazé Milano beige blazer with pinstripes, which retails at around £1,000.
The sophisticated mum-of-three also donned smart brown trousers and a black belt with casual white trainers.
It comes as 500 'Catherine's Rose' plants will be donated to wellbeing and community gardens across the UK this summer.
Others include Maggie's gardens for people affected by cancer, East Anglia's Children's Hospices and Horatio's Gardens for those living with spinal injuries.
The Princess also met with garden designer Adam Frost this afternoon.
The Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital opened in July 2024, and is designed to create a relaxing space for NHS staff, patients and visitors.
It was created in partnership with the RHS, Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals Charity and NHS Charities Together, of which the Prince and Princess of Wales share joint patronage.
This comes after the Kate
She was understood to be "disappointed' not to go but 'had to find the right balance' on returning to full time duty.
The mother-of-three had sadly dropped out to continue her recovery.
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This is the first time the Princess has been seen after pulling out of Royal Ascot last month
Credit: PA
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Kate beamed as she spoke to staff
Credit: PA
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The Royal planted a rose during a visit to the recovery garden
Credit: PA
Prince William then arrived at day two of the event in a carriage looking deep in thought.
Despite the absence of his wife, William put on a brave face and was seen smiling and chatting with other royals as the day went on.
The palace insisted there has always been flexibility around Kate's engagements more than a year after her cancer announcement.
She had already
Kate missed last year's event as she stepped back from her royal duties before announcing her cancer diagnosis.
Despite her absence at Ascot, the Princess
The mum-of-three is Royal Patron of East Anglia Children's Hospices (EACH), and in January this year became the Royal Patron of Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice in South Wales.
In a letter shared in social media she wrote: "No parent expects to hear that their child has a serious health condition that could shorten their life.
"Sadly, this is the reality faced by thousands of families across the country, leaving them heart-broken, fearful of the future and often desperately isolated.
"Being able to access the support of one of the UK's 54 children's hospices means they don't have to face that future alone.
"As
"Lifting spirits through laughter, fun and play, as well as listening, holding, caring and sharing, they support children and families through life, death and beyond.
"This Children's Hospice Week, I hope you will join me in celebrating the life-changing work they do and thanking them for the vital care they provide to children and families experiencing the most challenging times."
Kate's appearance today comes as King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to carry out a number of engagements as Royal Week continues in Scotland.
The royals will kick off engagements today in Kirkcaldy, Fife, including marking the centenary of the town's war memorial, and unveiling a commemoration cairn.
Queen Camilla will then travel to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, where she will host a reception for the Queen's Nursing Institute of Scotland.
The charity provides professional development opportunities for Scotland's community nurses and midwives.
It was founded in 1899 with a donation from Queen Victoria to organise the training of district nurses.
It also supports them in working collaboratively with those they care for to tackle health inequalities.
The King traditionally spends a week based at the Palace of Holyroodhouse each year in what is known as Holyrood Week or Royal Week in Scotland.
Yesterday, the King started his official visit with the traditional Ceremony of the Keys in the palace gardens.
He then presided over an investiture ceremony for honours recipients.
Later in the day the King and Queen hosted guests at a garden party at the palace, alongside the
Timeline of Kate's health battle & recovery
JAN 16
:
JAN 17
: Kensington Palace announce the princess underwent
JAN 18
: William spends time at
JAN 23
: The princess' hospital
JAN 29
: Kate
FEB 27:
MAR 4:
Mar 10
: Royal posts a sweet
Mar 11:
Mar 16:
Royal fans spot the
Mar 17:
Onlookers see Kate watching her youngsters playing sport
Mar 18:
The Sun exclusively published video of Kate and Wills from two days prior
Mar 22:
April 29
: Kate and William mark 13th anniversary releasing
June 8:
Kate does not attend Colonel's Review but
June 15
: Kate
July 14
: Kate attends the
August 11
:
September 9
:
Jan 14
: Kate reveals she is in
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Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Cork girl's sudden death may be linked to contraceptive pill and unknown genetic condition, inquest told
The sudden death of a healthy young student from Cork in the middle of her Leaving Certificate exams last year may be linked to both a previously unknown genetic abnormality and an oral contraceptive pill, an inquest has heard. A sitting of Dublin District Coroner's Court heard that Sarah-Kate O'Meara had begun taking a common combined oral contraceptive, Ovreena, about a month before her death. An inquest on Friday into her death heard the Glen Rovers camogie player would also have been at an increased risk of blood clots due to a previously unknown genetic condition as well as a period of relative inactivity while studying for exams. An autopsy showed she died from a lack of oxygen to the brain which was due to blood clots in her right lung and in veins on the surface of her brain. The 18-year-old student from Baker's Rd, Gurranabraher, was rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital after becoming unwell at her home on the morning of June 10, 2024, just before she was due to sit a Leaving Certificate maths paper at Mount Mercy College. Ms O'Meara was transferred to the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin the following day for specialist care but her condition subsequently deteriorated and she died on June 17 — just four days after her 18th birthday. The deceased's mother, Diann O'Meara, told the inquest that her daughter — one of five children — was a healthy teenager who was very sporty by playing camogie, running, and going to the gym. 'Health conscious' She said Sarah-Kate was 'so health conscious' that she would give out to the rest of her family about putting salt and butter on their food. Ms O'Meara recalled her daughter giving a small cough after coming into the kitchen at around 8.25am on June 10, 2024, with a study folder under her arm. She told the inquest that Sarah-Kate then fell helplessly to the ground as if she had fainted. Ms O'Meara said she screamed for her husband, Tony, to help before their daughter started speaking, although she still appeared somewhat disoriented. After being moved to a couch, the teenager told her parents that she felt like something was stuck in her chest but was concerned about going to school for her exam. Ms O'Meara said her daughter vomited shortly after she had given her some Lucozade and Calpol. A short time later, they called an ambulance after her lips went blue and her skin turned grey and she went into convulsions. Breaking down in tears at regular intervals as she recalled the tragic events, Ms O'Meara said her husband started CPR on their daughter and was later assisted by a pharmacist from a nearby chemist. However, Sarah-Kate was unresponsive by the time that paramedics arrived at their home. Ms O'Meara revealed that they decided to donate their daughter's organs to help others after being informed by doctors at the Mater that the chances of her recovering were unlikely. In reply to questions from the coroner, Clare Keane, she said there was nothing to suggest there was anything amiss with her daughter's health in the days before her collapse. Ms O'Meara outlined how Sarah-Kate had visited the Parklands Surgery in Cork the previous month to arrange to start taking a contraceptive pill. No history of blood clots The inquest heard she was on no other medication at the time of her death apart from an occasional protein supplement and had no history of blood clots. Ms O'Meara said Sarah-Kate had suffered from migraine for a number of years but had no longer required treatment for it since 2017. A Cork-based GP, Caroline Burke, gave evidence of prescribing Ovreena to the teenager following a detailed consultation on May 13, 2024. Dr Burke said the teenager wanted to go on the pill to lighten her periods as well as for contraceptive purposes. The doctor told the inquest that she went through the various options for contraception and a detailed set of questions that covered possible risk factors as well as checking the patient's blood pressure and weight. Dr Burke said she had discussed the patient's previous history of migraine but was reassured that she had not suffered the specific type of migraine that posed a particular risk. The inquest heard that Sarah-Kate was given a prescription for one month for Ovreena and had booked a follow-up check for one month later. Dr Burke told the coroner that Ovreena was 'the safest first line option' for the combined oral contraceptive pill. A consultant cardiologist at CUH, Gerry Fahy, told the hearing that the teenager's poor condition on arrival at the hospital had required her to be defibrillated 15 times over a 90-minute period. Dr Fahy said doctors were not aware at the time of the underlying cause of what happened and originally believed it was due to inflammation of the heart muscle before it became clearer that it could be due to blood clots. He explained that the patient developed disseminated intravascular coagulation — a rare condition where the blood is prone to both clotting and bleeding at the same time — which posed major challenges in providing regular treatment for clots. A consultant intensivist and anaesthetist at the Mater, Deirdre Edgeworth, gave evidence that the patient was deemed suitable for treatment with the hospital's ECMO machine — which diverts blood away from the lungs and heart — for patients with cardiac conditions that are considered reversible. A consultant cardiologist at the Mater, Katie Murphy, said Sarah-Kate had no signs of any underlying cardiac condition. Dr Murphy said the patient's cardiac function had improved with the ECMO treatment but the neurological injuries she had suffered as a result of the cardiac event had proven fatal. The cardiologist said she believed the cause of the blood clots were 'multi-factorial' including the patient's use of an oral contraceptive pill and not being as active as normal due to her studies. Genetic abnormality Dr Murphy also revealed that testing had shown Sarah-Kate had a genetic abnormality known as Factor V Leiden which placed her at an increased risk of blood clots. Recording a narrative verdict to reflect the complexity of the evidence, Dr Keane said she noted the significant finding in relation to Factor V Leiden. The coroner also observed that there was a known increased risk of blood clots with the combined oral contraceptive pill. Dr Keane reecorded that the potential side effects of the pill had been explained to the teenager and that it had been prescribed at a time when her genetic abnormality was unknown. The inquest heard that the donation of the deceased's kidneys had saved the lives of two other patients. Offering her condolences to the student's family, Dr Keane said she was so sorry 'for the heartbreaking loss of your vibrant daughter.' Ms O'Meara replied: 'It's the world's loss — not just ours. She had so much to offer.' Her family had originally sought an adjournment of the inquest after only receiving a copy of Dr Burke's deposition just before the hearing which had left them 'taken aback'. However, they decided to allow the inquest to proceed after the coroner informed them they could ask questions about any evidence.
Irish Daily Mirror
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- Irish Daily Mirror
Teen who died suddenly during Leaving Cert saved two lives
The sudden death of a healthy young student from Cork in the middle of her Leaving Certificate exams last year may be linked to both a previously unknown genetic abnormality and an oral contraceptive pill, an inquest has heard. A sitting of Dublin District Coroner's Court heard that Sarah-Kate O'Meara had begun taking a common combined oral contraceptive, Ovreena, about a month before her death. An inquest on Friday into her death heard the Glen Rovers camogie player would also have been at an increased risk of blood clots due to a previously unknown genetic condition as well as a period of relative inactivity while studying for exams. A postmortem on the body of the teenager showed she died from a lack of oxygen to the brain which was due to blood clots in her right lung and in veins on the surface of her brain. The 18-year-old student from Baker's Road, Gurranabraher, Cork, was rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital after becoming unwell at her home on the morning of June 10, 2024 just before she was due to sit a Maths paper in her Leaving Certificate exams at Mount Mercy College. Ms O'Meara was transferred to the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin the following day for specialist care but her condition subsequently deteriorated and she died on June 17 last year – four days after her 18th birthday. The deceased's mother, Diann O'Meara, told the inquest that her daughter – one of five children – was a healthy teenager who was very sporty by playing camogie, running and going to the gym. She said Sarah-Kate was 'so health conscious' that she would give out to the rest of her family about putting salt and butter on their food. Ms O'Meara recalled her daughter giving a small cough after coming into the kitchen at around 8.25am on June 10, 2024 with a study folder under her arm. She told the inquest that Sarah-Kate then fell helplessly to the ground as if she had fainted. Ms O'Meara said she screamed for her husband, Tony, to help before their daughter started speaking, although she still appeared somewhat disoriented. After being moved to a couch, the teenager told her parents that she felt like something was stuck in her chest but was concerned about going to school for her exam. Ms O'Meara said her daughter vomited shortly after she had given her some Lucozade and Calpol. A short time later, they called an ambulance after her lips went blue and her skin turned grey and she went into convulsions. Breaking down in tears at regular intervals as she recalled the tragic events, Ms O'Meara said her husband started CPR on their daughter and was later assisted by a pharmacist from a nearby chemist's. However, Sarah-Kate was unresponsive by the time that paramedics arrived at their home. Ms O'Meara revealed that they decided to donate their daughter's organs to help others after being informed by doctors at the Mater that the chances of her recovering were unlikely. In reply to questions from the coroner, Clare Keane, she said there was nothing to suggest there was anything amiss with her daughter's health in the days before her collapse. Ms O'Meara outlined how Sarah-Kate had visited the Parklands Surgery in Cork the previous month to arrange to start taking a contraceptive pill. The inquest heard she was on no other medication at the time of her death apart from an occasional protein supplement and had no history of blood clots. Ms O'Meara said Sarah-Kate had suffered from migraine for a number of years but had no longer required treatment for it since 2017. A Cork-based GP, Caroline Burke, gave evidence of prescribing Ovreena to the teenager following a detailed consultation on May 13, 2024. Dr Burke said the teenager wanted to go on the pill to lighten her periods as well as for contraceptive purposes. The doctor told the inquest that she went through the various options for contraception and a detailed set of questions that covered possible risk factors as well as checking the patient's blood pressure and weight. Dr Burke said she had discussed the patient's previous history of migraine but was reassured that she had not suffered the specific type of migraine that posed a particular risk. The inquest heard that Sarah-Kate was given a prescription for one month for Ovreena and had booked a follow-up check for one month later. Dr Burke told the coroner that Ovreena was 'the safest first line option' for the combined oral contraceptive pill. A consultant cardiologist at CUH, Gerry Fahy, told the hearing that the teenager's poor condition on arrival at the hospital had required her to be defibrillated 15 times over a 90-minute period. Dr Fahy said doctors were not aware at the time of the underlying cause of what happened and originally believed it was due to inflammation of the heart muscle before it became clearer that it could be due to blood clots. He explained that the patient developed disseminated intravascular coagulation – a rare condition where the blood is prone to both clotting and bleeding at the same time – which posed major challenges in providing regular treatment for clots. A consultant intensivist and anaesthetist at the Mater, Deirdre Edgeworth, gave evidence that the patient was deemed suitable for treatment with the hospital's ECMO machine – which diverts blood away from the lungs and heart – for patients with cardiac conditions that are considered reversible. A consultant cardiologist at the Mater, Katie Murphy, said Sarah-Kate had no signs of any underlying cardiac condition. Dr Murphy said the patient's cardiac function had improved with the ECMO treatment but the neurological injuries she had suffered as a result of the cardiac event had proven fatal. The cardiologist said she believed the cause of the blood clots were 'multi-factorial' including the patient's use of an oral contraceptive pill and not being as active as normal due to her studies. Dr Murphy also revealed that testing had shown Sarah-Kate had a genetic abnormality known as Factor V Leiden which placed her at an increased risk of blood clots. Recording a narrative verdict to reflect the complexity of the evidence, Dr Keane said she noted the significant finding in relation to Factor V Leiden. The coroner also observed that there was a known increased risk of blood clots with the combined oral contraceptive pill. Dr Keane reecorded that the potential side effects of the pill had been explained to the teenager and that it had been prescribed at a time when her genetic abnormality was unknown. The inquest heard that the donation of the deceased's kidneys had saved the lives of two other patients. Offering her condolences to the student's family, Dr Keane said she was so sorry 'for the heartbreaking loss of your vibrant daughter.' Ms O'Meara replied: 'It's the world's loss – not just ours. She had so much to offer.' Her family had originally sought an adjournment of the inquest after only receiving a copy of Dr Burke's deposition just before the hearing which had left them 'taken aback.' However, they decided to allow the inquest to proceed after the coroner informed them they could ask questions about any evidence.
Irish Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish ambulance crews called to deal with shaving cut and high temperature
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