Kate Middleton's Passion For Nature's Holistic Healing Power Hints At Her Own Cancer Recovery

In March 2024, Catherine, Princess of Wales issued a statement that surprised the world: She'd been diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year. Though she didn't say which type of cancer she had, the princess said she would be starting "preventative chemotherapy" (via Good Morning America). However, during a special visit to a London hospital more than two years later, in September 2026, Kate Middleton acknowledged that chemotherapy wasn't the only type of treatment she'd relied upon as she moved through her recovery journey. As part of her treatment plan, Middleton opted for complementary and integrative therapeutic approaches in addition to standard medical ones.

Indeed, during an unscheduled trip to Royal Marsden Hospital, Middleton talked about getting "incredible care" there previously, according to Marie Claire. Specifically, she commented that "the holistic care, the treatments and therapeutic support on the outside is so important." While speaking with hospital officials, she also noted that "the impact of nature, the impact of good nutrition" made getting through more traditional cancer therapies easier. Middleton's supportive remarks about complementary cancer treatments appear to have come from the heart (and hopefully won't become one more of the times Middleton has been shamed amid her health struggles).

Middleton is hardly alone in wanting to test the healing powers of holistic options. In fact, a survey from the Healing Works Foundation revealed that over 60% of cancer patients believe in using complementary methods during cancer treatment. But what exactly is integrative therapy, and which holistic techniques did Middleton try?

Holistic medicine and integrative cancer treatments tend to be lumped together because they're umbrella terms for evidence-based treatment approaches that provide mental or physical relief for cancer patients. That said, they're not the same as alternative cancer therapies because holistic and integrative treatments are used in combination with standard treatments like chemotherapy. In contrast, alternative cancer therapies, which are often unproven, are used instead of standard modern medicinal treatments. Examples of integrative medicine include massage and yoga.

During a "Cancer Straight Talk" podcast episode, Dr. Jun Mao, chief of integrative medicine service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discussed the value of providing holistic options for cancer patients. Dr. Mao noted that patients often feel more in control when they can add integrative treatments into their plans with the support of their families and providers, adding that when used synergistically with traditional medicine, integrative medicine "can improve the quality of life and potentially the longevity of life."

Kate Middleton hasn't given an overview of the integrative treatments she tried, but she did admit in 2025 that she turned to acupuncture to help get her through her cancer care (via The Telegraph). It wasn't the first time she'd tried acupuncture, either, as she'd also used the practice to curb pregnancy nausea while carrying Prince George. In any case, she seemed excited to support integrative medicine as a way to personalize cancer treatments. Said Middleton, "What helps one person – acupuncture or something – might not help another."

In addition to acupuncture, Kate Middleton may have tried other holistic strategies, given her positive words regarding "nature" and "nutrition" during her appearance at Royal Marsden Hospital. The former would hardly be surprising: Middleton has a reputation for enjoying outdoor activities, like taking routine "wellbeing walks," per Marie Claire. Therefore, she might not be shocked to hear that a 2025 review in Systematic Reviews found that routine physical exercise provided mind and body benefits for former cancer patients or that the National Cancer Institute advises physical activity for people who've had cancer.

In terms of nutrition, Middleton has maintained a reputation for eating nutrient-dense foods as part of a well-rounded, plant-heavy diet. And diets similar to hers have been linked to improved longevity in former cancer patients. Case in point, a 2023 review in Maturitas reported that cancer survivors who followed an eating plan that included foods on the Mediterranean diet experienced a 29% reduced chance of dying from the disease. 

Regardless of which diet or lifestyle she has chosen to integrate with her past cancer treatment and current recovery state, Middleton appears to be doing well. In June 2026, she participated in the National Three Peaks Challenge, hiking three mountains within 24 hours, to help support The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.