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Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis show off playful sides in snapshot of royal life in Norfolk

Fans were given a rare insight into the lives of the three royal children

Athena Stavrou
Monday 09 September 2024 19:09 BST
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‘Out of darkness, can come light’: Kate Middleton completes cancer treatment

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Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis showed off their playful sides as they frolicked through the countryside in a new video giving an update about their mother’s health.

The Princess of Wales confirmed she had completed her chemotherapy treatment as she spoke about her journey over a deeply personal montage of images of herself and her family.

The video, by filmmaker Will Warr, features the princess and her husband, Prince William, share cuddles in the Norfolk woods as they enjoy precious time with their three children.

Daredevil Louis climbs high in a tree, watched by Kate at the bottom, and William uses a playing card to remove a green caterpillar from Charlotte’s hair, showing it to her which makes her squeal.

In another clip, George peers into the camera and asks: “Is this filming?” and Charlotte and Louis press their faces near the lens giggling and both saying “Hello”.

In the video, Charlotte and Louis press their faces near the lens giggling and both saying “Hello”.
In the video, Charlotte and Louis press their faces near the lens giggling and both saying “Hello”. (Kensington Palace)

Kate and her children clamber onto hay bales and, on the beach, George and Louis charge fully clothed through the sea, while Charlotte and Kate skip over the waves.

The princess used the moving video to announce her completion of chemotherapy and return to public duties.

She describes the past nine months since her serious health issues began as “incredibly tough for us as a family” and how the “cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone”, with the experience giving her a “new perspective on everything.”

The Wales family embracing one another in the footage released by Kate (Will Warr/Kensington Palace/PA)
The Wales family embracing one another in the footage released by Kate (Will Warr/Kensington Palace/PA) (PA Wire)

Filmed earlier in the summer, the video features slowed-down shots of the princess, in a printed boho summer dress, walking through the forest looking up at the trees, as she describes tells how “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,” she says.

The princess is seen in a pale blue summer dress and white trainers walking in a line – one behind another – through the woods with her family. She can be heard saying “You lead the way”.

Louis, throwing and catching a tennis ball, walks slightly ahead while the family dog Orla, a black cocker spaniel, bounds along.

Next is Charlotte, with Kate behind carrying a blanket and a rucksack, William in a collared t-shirt and shorts, and a smiling George carrying a yellow plastic cricket bat.

It is understood that the events Kate hopes to attend this year will be for causes, issues and charities closest to her heart (Will Warr/Kensington Palace/PA)
It is understood that the events Kate hopes to attend this year will be for causes, issues and charities closest to her heart (Will Warr/Kensington Palace/PA) (PA Wire)

The princess has been undergoing preventative chemotherapy after having been diagnosed with an unknown form of cancer earlier this year.

She has stayed largely out of the public eye since her diagnosis, having only been seen at official engagements twice since January. The mother-of-three attended Trooping the Colour in June and presented the Wimbledon men’s trophy in July and it is now understood she will return to work this autumn.

Kate found sanctuary in the natural world alongside her family whilst undergoing treatment (Will Warr/Kensington Palace/PA)
Kate found sanctuary in the natural world alongside her family whilst undergoing treatment (Will Warr/Kensington Palace/PA) (PA Wire)

Kate, who is continuing to work from home, is hoping to return to a light programme of public duties for the remainder of the year, reflecting her need to make a full recovery, and aims for a handful of engagements in the coming months.

In the video, Kate says: “Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.

“I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.

“Despite all that has gone before, I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life.”

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