How Kate Middleton "Rewrote the Rulebook" to Prioritize George, Charlotte, and Louis After Her Cancer Diagnosis

"Kate may look like a fragile wallflower, but [she] is made of tough stuff."

Princess Kate, Prince George, Prince Louis and Prince William on the balcony at Buckingham Palace
(Image credit: Getty Images)

2024 proved to be a challenging year for Kate Middleton, who underwent preventative chemotherapy treatment following a cancer diagnosis. According to a new report, the Princess of Wales decided to rewrite the royal "rulebook" following her diagnosis, and has focused on prioritizing her three childrenPrince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

Writing for The Sun, royal commentator and expert Emily Andrews discussed how Princess Kate worked through a plethora of difficulties following her cancer diagnosis. "At the heart of this is the steel of the Princess of Wales, which may come as a surprise to some," Andrews explained. "Kate, at times, may look like a fragile wallflower, but the former Miss Middleton is made of tough stuff."

Andrews continued, "Although she has borne the physical brunt of surgery and then chemotherapy, she has remained stoic, positive and always putting William...and their children...first."

Princess Kate smiling at Prince Louis, who is looking up at planes with Prince George and Princess Charlotte

Princess Kate with her children, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The royal expert also spoke to friends of the Prince and Princess of Wales, one of whom said, "Last spring and early summer, things were really very tough. Catherine was very ill and William genuinely had to confront the possibility that he could lose his wife and his father [King Charles]." Charles shared his own cancer diagnosis in Feb. 2024, and continues treatment for the condition in 2025.

Discussing the way in which Princess Kate prioritized Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, a friend told The Sun, "Keeping things as normal as possible for the 'kiddies,' as Catherine calls them, was paramount. Her mom in particular was a tower of strength and support."

Prince William and Princess Kate on the balcony with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis

Prince William and Princess Kate with their three children.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In the article, Andrews also noted how much Princess Kate has changed following her cancer diagnosis. Previously "an intensely private person," Princess Kate "wants to use her deeply personal trauma to help others," Andrews explained.

As a source at the palace told The Sun, "The princess herself has spoken movingly over the past 13 months of the power that nature has played in her recovery...That is definitely a message of both her private life and her public work going forward." And it would seem as though George, Charlotte, and Louis remain at the center of everything the Princess of Wales does.

Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.