Ascot absence is just a blip in Princess of Wales's remarkable recovery
As the sun blazed down on Royal Ascot on Wednesday, racegoers were abuzz with news that the Princess of Wales would be attending the meeting.
The official list of carriages in the Royal Procession had her name on it, along with those of the King, the Queen and the Prince of Wales, in what was expected to be her return to the summer season after her chemotherapy this time last year.
In the end, it was not to be. In the hours ahead of the procession, Kensington Palace confirmed that the Princess would be unable to attend.
It is said that while she was understandably disappointed not to attend, the Princess was mindful of treading a careful line as she returns to work.
It is a salient reminder that life, even for the royals, is not a fairytale. There is no magic wand for health.
There is no cause for alarm, we are told, backed by evidence of the Princess laughing and happy at the Garter Day ceremony at Windsor Castle just two days ago.
She has, in truth, been staging a remarkable comeback. Since the September video in which she announced that she had finished her chemotherapy, the Princess has surpassed all expectations in her steady march back to work.
From a lively anniversary trip to the Isle of Mull to placing a considered spotlight on Britain's creative sector at the V&A last week, she has looked happy, healthy and – as far as the public could see – as if she had never been away.
At Trooping the Colour on Saturday, she appeared flawless, standing beside the King in the public eye for hours and watching over her well-behaved children.
However, behind closed doors, it seems, things have not been so blissfully uncomplicated. The 'cancer journey', Catherine said in September, 'is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you'.
'Much needed time to heal'
Almost exactly a year ago, as she attempted to reconcile her deeply private health issues with her public role, she said she was experiencing 'good days and bad days'.
'Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal,' she said.
Since then, the Princess has made a valiant effort to get back into the public eye.
At a time when the public would have given her grace in recovery, she has signed up to public engagements (more than 20 this year), and high-profile Royal events at which every camera lens is focused on her face.
Her appearance, recently so healthy, has belied how difficult things were last year, and how hard the fight to return to normality has been.
The King and his daughter-in-law have walked similar paths this year in very different ways.
While the King, as a 76-year-old head of state, has largely ploughed on during cancer treatment, packing his diary with domestic engagements and international travel, the Princess – correctly – has had her mind on other things.
With three small children, a future King among them, she is focused on the long term, supporting her husband and being there in all senses for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
She is disappointed to miss Ascot. But the big picture, as she, William and their advisers know, is more important.
The watchword at the Palace is 'balance'. Her illness was serious, sources emphasise, and the long-term effects for any patient are unpredictable.
The public are kind enough, nowadays, to understand that royals are human and they cannot perform at all times.
The summer season at Ascot will survive, with royals aplenty. The presence of the Prince of Wales, who would have no qualms about shouldering criticism to skip the event to be by his wife's side if needed, as well as that of Carole Middleton, the Princess's mother, was reassuring.
The Princess is likely to be seen again very soon, at Wimbledon as well as official engagements, before the children break up for their school holidays.
'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 in September.
This year, she has made it look easy – but it is not.
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Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Kate misses Royal Ascot for second year as she aims for right balance
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
I lost 8st on fat jabs but felt severely hungover & was constantly on the loo – but I'm happier than ever being skinny
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Eager to clap back at those who hail Mounjaro 'the easy way out', Kelsey explained: 'You don't know the years I spent trapped in a cycle of diets that didn't work. 'You don't know the pain of battling a body that felt like it was working against me because of PCOS.' Not only this, but Kelsey also claimed that prior to using Mounjaro, she was exhausted and faced 'quiet moments' where she 'nearly gave up.' She then claimed that she is 'not 'stealing' from anyone', and instead, is 'reclaiming' her health and 'showing up' for herself in a way she never thought she could. Now, Kelsey claimed that her ' mum tum ' is 'barely noticeable'. Not only this, but she stressed that Mounjaro 'changed' her life and now she feels 'happier than ever.' Sun GP Dr Zoe Williams claimed that Mounjaro, which could soon be rolled out on the NHS, can save the lives of people with 'life-threatening levels of obesity '. 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Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): Especially if used with other medications like sulfonylureas or insulin. Another added: 'Wow!! Incredible transformation.' Fatal consequences In addition to diarrhoea and stomach cramps, those debating whether to begin using Mounjaro should know that the jabs can have fatal consequences. The injections are licensed for patients with type 2 diabetes and are administered every seven days. They are also available to assist those who are clinically obese (with a Body Mass Index of 30 or over). The drugs can be prescribed by a practitioner - such as a doctor, nurse or a pharmacist-independent prescriber. But increasingly, we are seeing more and more people buying them through online pharmacies, without sufficient checks. Not only this, but figures from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency revealed that fat jabs had been linked to 82 deaths across the UK. 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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE My toddler had a fall when she was playing and woke up the next day with completely BLACK eyes... now she's been diagnosed with an ultra-agressive cancer and we don't know how long we have left
A mother has told how her two-year-old was a 'normal happy, healthy toddler' just days before a devastating diagnosis left the child fighting for her life. Carlyn Dooley, from Corby, rushed her daughter Paisley to hospital on April 2 after she woke up with black rings around her eyes. Initially, the 25-year-old thought Paisley might have injured herself playing and never expected she was about to hear news that would make her 'whole world fall apart'. 'They called us through and they said, "We're really sorry, but we found a mass in your daughter's tummy and we think it might be cancer." 'I didn't want to understand it at the start. My heart broke instantly', Ms Dooley, who is 34 weeks pregnant, told MailOnline. Paisley has Stage 4 High-Risk Neuroblastoma, a very aggressive and rare childhood cancer with a devastating 50% survival rate. The diagnosis came as a huge shock given that the child showed no prior symptoms of being unwell. Paisley's family have set up a GoFundMe to help them cover the future cost of her treatments - which could be in excess of £250,000. Initially the 25-year-old thought Paisley might have injured herself playing, and never expected she was about to hear news that would make her 'whole world fall apart' 'Paisley was a normal, happy, healthy little one year old. She would run around, she would play, she'd go to playgroups three times a week', said Ms Dooley. 'She was full of life. There were never any signs. There were never any indicators. She was just a normal, happy, healthy toddler.' Paisley is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment which has had 'horrible side effects' including sickness and hair loss. 'I don't even have the words to describe it. It's something I wouldn't wish on anybody. We were just a normal, happy family,' Ms Dooley said. 'We were supposed to be bringing her baby brother into the world as a normal, happy family of four, and now we're watching our daughter who has just turned two years old fight for her life. 'It's literally ripped us apart'. Ms Dooley added: 'It's heartbreaking to see your normal, happy, healthy little girl that had beautiful long blonde hair be told she's got cancer, start chemotherapy and lose her hair, I can't even explain it'. The distraught mother says Paisley is confused about why her hair is falling out but is too young to comprehend what's happening. 'She, she doesn't really understand. We just say, "You're just poorly, it will come back', because how do you tell a two-year-old that they could die?', Ms Dooley said. Ms Dooley said Paisley has an an 'amazing' attitude and has stayed cheerful throughout her numerous hospital visits. 'She even runs up and down when she's having chemo,' her mother said. The night before her diagnosis Paisley had fallen over while playing with her father Ross, but showed no signs of injury. But, when Ms Dooley went in to wake the toddler up the next morning she was shocked to see 'Paisley had big black bloodshot panda eyes.' 'I had no idea what was going on. I thought maybe worst case scenario, like, she's like, hurt herself, like quite badly,' the mother recalled. She took the child to hospital, expecting doctors to agree with her theory but knew something was 'very wrong' when medics told her this couldn't be the case. 'Even the hospital was concerned because I told them what had happened and they didn't understand how the nature of her fall would cause the injuries that her face had. 'Her face did look obviously really bruised but her eyes were bloodshot, a child falling over shouldn't get bloodshot eyes,' Ms Dooley said. After conducting numerous scans and tests doctors found it was a cancer called High Risk Neuroblastoma that had caused the marks on Paisley's face. 'It's a really hard cancer to tackle. That's why treatments are minimum of 18 months long. 'So much can go wrong at any time', said Ms Dooley. She added how Paisley could get to remission but the chances of the cancer returning are more than 50%. And, If she can't get to remission or she does not get to remission and then she relapses, Paisley survival rate drops to 5%. Ms Dooley said if this happens there is 'not much that can be done on the NHS' and she will need to pay for Paisley to be taken further a field for treatment - the cost of which 'can be in excess of £250,000.' 'There's things that can be done overseas but that's self-funding, which isn't going to be cheap. That's going to cost a lot of money,' the mother added. The toddler's parents have set up a GoFundme page to help them afford to pay for further treatment should it be needed.
