Catherine, Princess of Wales, honored Mother Nature to celebrate Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom this year.
Sunday, March 30 marks Mother’s Day in the U.K. (Mother’s Day in the United States will be celebrated on Sunday, May 11). The former Kate Middleton penned a touching message for the holiday, which comes one year after she announced her cancer diagnosis.
Her message was posted on social media alongside a video shared on the official Instagram account for the Prince and Princess of Wales. The clip featured a wide variety of nature shots, including a sunny meadow, flowers blooming, a snowy field, foggy mountains, waves crashing, and more stunning scenes.
“Over the past year, nature has been our sanctuary,” Kate’s message in the caption read. “This Mother’s Day, let us celebrate Mother Nature and recognise how our bond with the natural world can help not only nurture our inner selves, but remind us too of the role we play within the rich tapestry of life.”
Last year, Kate’s Mother’s Day post was met with controversy, as it featured a family photo that was later retracted by news agencies after it appeared to be manipulated.
“The Associated Press initially published the photo, which was issued by Kensington Palace,” the AP said in a statement to NBC News at the time. “The AP later retracted the image because at closer inspection, it appears that the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards.”
A March 2024 statement from Kate posted on the official X account for the Prince and Princess of Wales addressed the controversy, reading in part, “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing.”
“I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused,.” the statement continued.“I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day.”
That same month, Kate revealed in a video statement that after she underwent abdominal surgery in January, she was diagnosed with cancer and was in the “early stages” of preventive chemotherapy. Months later in June, she released her first comments about her cancer treatment since sharing her diagnosis, writing that she was “making good progress” but was “not out of the woods.”
In September, Kate revealed that she completed her chemotherapy treatment and would return to making public appearances.
Reflecting on her diagnosis and treatment, she wrote, “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.”
Kate shared an update on her health in January 2025 when she announced that her cancer was in remission, calling it a “relief” though she said she would “remain focused on recovery.”
“As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal,” her message continued. “I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.”
In the weeks that followed her remission announcement, Kate shared a post in February to mark World Cancer Day. The post featured a photo of her taken by her son, Prince Louis, as she stood in the woods with her arms spread out.
“Don’t forget to nurture all that which lies beyond the disease,” the post read.
