Kate Middleton cancer: I wish the Princess of Wales well but I found her video insensitive as normal people face long waits for cancer care

Her journey has been very, very, different to what a normal person will have to go through - and I wish she had just been a bit more honest about that in the video. I wish she had addressed these facts and perhaps said something along the lines of ‘I know my journey will have been different’ and ‘I hope the government improves its services and waiting times’. As in the video she says ‘To all those who are continuing their own cancer journey, I remain with you side by side, hand in hand’, and while it is a nice gesture to those with cancer who are suffering and going through immeasurable pain, it just doesn’t quite sit right or feel genuine when Kate has had the up-most top care and was seen to straight-away.

The Financial Times reports that the percentage of cancer patients in England waiting beyond government targets for care has more than tripled over the past 12 years. In June 33.4 per cent of patients were waiting longer than the 62-day official standard for people to start treatment after cancer is suspected, up from 11 per cent between January and March 2012, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics on Friday (6 September).

Watching the video as someone who has lost a much-loved relative who was the heart of the family to cancer, have relatives who are on the cancer waiting list and waiting months and months for an appointment, has friends who have lost family members, I just found the video really insensitive. Her video is not the reality for most people. Tragic news of people dying without even getting seen to, those suffering with cancer still having to go to work. There are those lucky to survive and battle through their treatment, but for most they don’t get the video running through wheat fields with their family.

I know if my Nan was still alive, seeing that video would not have made her feel any better. It is so out of touch with reality and even whipping her hair in the wind is rather insensitive to those going on their ‘journey’ and losing their hair. I know the purpose of the video was to show a personal video of her and her family so people can more relate, to share her update and give support and love to those with cancer but to me all of the staged shots in fields, forests and on the fields just made me feel a bit sick. It was very cringey and brushed over what the reality is truly like for normal people.

A woman said on X, formerly Twitter: “My mum had cancer as well as my friend and they too felt that running through a wheat field with long hair flowing was a tad insensitive and I merely said that the their video seemed a bit staged! Maybe Kensington Palace/her PR team (not necessarily her,) should show a little more empathy and compassion towards all the sufferers who didn’t have access to the best doctors and had long waiting lists, had to go to work, lost their hair, lost lives”. I couldn’t agree more.