Kate Middleton reflects on cancer recovery during Colchester Hospital visit

The Princess of Wales returned to royal duties on Wednesday, visiting Colchester Hospital’s Wellbeing Centre in Essex.

Dressed in a soft, earthy palette—a striped Ralph Lauren shirt layered under a Blazé Milano blazer, with slim brown trousers by Joseph and her go-to Veja trainers—the Princess looked relaxed yet polished. For full outfit & jewellery details, skip to the bottom of this post.

Kate spent the morning speaking with patients, NHS staff, carers and volunteers about the long-term challenges that often follow cancer treatment.

In a candid group conversation, she reflected on her own experience, acknowledging how “life-changing” the journey can be — not only at the point of diagnosis, but long after treatment ends.

“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment,” she said. “Treatment’s done – then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal’. But actually, the phase afterwards is really difficult.”

Kate spoke about the emotional disorientation that can follow when clinical support ends, but full recovery hasn’t yet begun:

“You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to,” she added. “You have to find your new normal and that takes time.”

The Princess also spoke of the journey being like a “rollercoaster”, “it’s not one smooth plane, which you expect it to be. But the reality is it’s not, you go through hard times”.

She also acknowledged the expectations that come with finishing treatment — both from others and from within. “There is this whole phase when you finish your treatment that you, yourself, everybody, expects you, right you’ve finished your time, go, you’re better — and that’s not the case at all.”

Kate’s comments come after she missed Royal Ascot last week, with Kensington Palace saying at the time that she was focusing on finding the right balance in her return to public life.

Following her conversations inside the centre, the Princess stepped out into the drizzle to plant a Catherine’s Rose in the hospital’s Wellbeing Garden.

The Princess, who is a keen gardener and a longtime advocate for the positive benefits of spending time outdoors, got hands-on with a trowel.

She declined a pair of gardening gloves, preferring to pat the soil with her hands. As you can see, she wasn’t afraid to get dirty.

The specially bred rose, developed by the Royal Horticultural Society and named in her honour, was created to champion the positive effects of nature on mental and physical health.

The hospital’s Wellbeing Garden opened last July as a dedicated space for rest and reflection, and as a place for patients to enjoy nature as they recover from illness.

Catherine’s Rose will benefit the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Proceeds will fund a new training programme for clinical teams across the UK.

In total, Kensington Palace will donate 500 rose plants to wellbeing and community gardens nationwide this summer.

Let’s take a look at the Princess’s outfit now.

Kate’s outfit:

For the hospital visit, Kate mixed and matched new and old items in warm, earthy tones for an unfussy, understated look.

The blazer-and-sneakers combination struck the perfect balance for the princess; it was a smart yet approachable look. Exactly the ensemble one needs when representing the Royal Family—polished for the occasion, but relaxed enough to connect with people from all walks of life. Plus, who wants to crouch down and plant flowers while wearing heels?

Let’s examine each outfit piece in turn now, beginning with the blazer. It’s by Blazé Milano, and it’s known as the ‘Wind Hunter Charmer‘ style.

The beige, double-breasted style features sharp tailoring, creamy pinstripes and distinctive brown knotted buttons.

The piece, cut from a silk-linen blend grain de poudre, is airy and textured, a sensible summer choice.

The piece is from a past season and is no longer available to buy, unfortunately. It retailed exclusively at Net-A-Porter, with 20% of proceeds donated to the Association of the Italian Red Cross. Similar blazers from the company can be found here.

Kate debuted the blazer at the Royal Air Force Air Tattoo in July 2023, which she attended with her family (pictured below):

More notably, the Princess wore the blazer for a second time in a candid portrait taken by Matt Porteous and released in June 2024, when she shared a health update and spoke of having “good days and bad days” (pictured below).

Rewearing it at the hospital, for an engagement centred around cancer recovery, seems particularly fitting—likely unintentional, but quietly resonant all the same.

Speaking of which, it’s an interesting coincidence that the Princess chose another Blazé Milano piece for her visit to the Royal Marsden hospital earlier this year—the place she received her cancer treatment, and on the day she confirmed she was in Remission (pictured below).

Blazé Milano is an Italian label founded in 2013 by three former Elle Italia editors with a mission to reinvent the classic blazer for modern women. Known for its sharp tailoring, luxurious fabrics and signature arched ‘Smiley’ pockets, the brand blends traditional Italian craftsmanship with a relaxed, feminine elegance.

Under the blazer, Kate debuted a new piece from Ralph Lauren, the company’s Capri Relaxed Fit Striped Cotton Shirt in a warm brown and cream colourway (with thanks to MiddletonMaven for this information).

The Italian-made shirt is cut from 100% cotton and has a crisp, structured feel. It’s designed with a flattering, relaxed fit. The shirt features a spread Capri collar, genuine mother-of-pearl buttons, barrel cuffs and a vented hem.

Kate’s version, with the brown stripe design, is no longer available to purchase as it’s a past-season piece. However, the same style remains available to buy in blue/white and orange/white colourways at Ralph Lauren.

The Princess is no stranger to Ralph Lauren; she’s turned to the brand for numerous engagements over the last 14 years—from patterned blouses to heeled boots to smart knits.

Of course, Ralph Lauren is an iconic American fashion house celebrated for its timeless, all-American aesthetic—crisp tailoring, classic shirting, and a polished mix of preppy and equestrian influences.

We have to applaud MiddletonMaven and PrincessWCloset this afternoon, as they appear to have identified Kate’s new (to us) trousers this afternoon. They’re from Joseph.

The Kate fans believe the Princess is wearing the brand’s Coleman trousers in brown.

The tailored trousers are crafted from a cotton-viscose gabardine fabric, which features a diagonal twill weave. The trousers are cropped in length and feature a mid-rise waist.

I show them here in the ‘black’ colourway (available in limited sizes at Net-A-Porter). Sadly, the brown shade Kate’s wearing is from a past season. (A running theme in this post!)

Kate has incorporated Joseph into her wardrobe for over a decade now, she’s worn a skirt from the brand, a pair of coloured trousers, two dresses, a blouse, a coat and a jacket. 

The British label is known for its clean lines, muted palette and modern, minimalist tailoring. Originally founded as a fashion-forward boutique in the 1960s, the brand has evolved into a go-to for elevated wardrobe essentials over the last decade or two—think silk blouses, tailored trousers, and effortless knitwear with a luxurious finish.

Let’s move on to Kate’s shoes and jewellery now, they’re all familiar pieces. Let’s begin with her earrings. They’re the Cartier Trinity Classic earrings.

This is only the second time we’ve seen Kate wear the hoops in public. She debuted them earlier this year during the visit to the Royal Marsden(another coincidental link back to that engagement in January).

The timeless earring design features three interlocking bands of 18ct gold. The hoops combine rose, yellow, and white gold in a softly rounded silhouette, each metal carrying its own symbolic meaning: rose gold for love, yellow for fidelity, and white for friendship, according to Selfridges.com.

The earrings feature a 13.2mm inner diameter and a slender 3.3mm band width. They retail for £3,050 at the British department store, where they’re described as “elegantly intertwined.”

At last count, these were the third pair of Trinity earrings in the Princess’s jewellery collection. We’ve also spotted her wearing two Trinity necklaces. (Plus a ring and a watch from the company—and let’s not forget her iconic wedding tiara.)

Cartier is one of the world’s most prestigious jewellers, of course. The company is synonymous with luxury, craftsmanship and heritage. Founded in Paris in 1847, the Maison is known for its elegant timepieces and iconic designs—from the Love bracelet to the Panthère motif.

Let’s move on to Kate’s necklace now. It’s a garnet birthstone necklace from Auree’s Bali collection.

The Princess debuted the item in June 2022, in a video released by Kensington Palace showing her baking with George, Charlotte and Louis for the Platinum Jubilee.

The £425 necklace features a polished 9ct yellow gold disc, paired with a deep red garnet charm—the January birthstone (Kate’s birthday is in January). You’ll be pleased to know that it’s still available to buy.

The disc is reversible (brushed on one side, polished on the other) and can be engraved with a name or date. We think Kate might have had hers engraved; it sort of looks like there are some letters at the bottom of the disk.

To the best of my recollection, this necklace is the only piece Kate owns from Auree.

Auree, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, creates beautiful and affordable jewellery inspired by travel and people’s stories of adventure. 

Let’s finish up with the Princess’s sneakers/trainers. She wears the Veja Esplar style in ‘Platine’.

They’ll be familiar to longtime followers of Kate’s style. She’s worn this shoe on repeat since 2021. They’ve become something of a go-to for casual royal engagements.

The minimalist white leather sneaker features Veja’s signature ‘V’ logo on the side in a metallic leather, with a matching metallic heel tab stamped with the brand’s name. The official style name is ‘White Platine.’

They appear to be widely sold out online, though Flannels had lots of stock last time I checked.

Veja, a French footwear brand, combines minimalist design with a strong commitment to sustainability, and their products contain eco-conscious materials.

The Esplar shoes are crafted from leather with a recycled plastic bottle lining, organic cotton laces, and an outsole made with a mix of rice waste and recycled rubber—I think we can agree that they’re a stylish and sustainable choice.

We know the Princess gravitates towards consciously made pieces, and Veja fits that ethos perfectly.

And that’s all for today, folks. It’s 2 am here, so please excuse the inevitable errors. I’ll be back to fix them tomorrow.