London, UK - Catherine, Princess of Wales on Wednesday likened recovering from cancer to riding "a rollercoaster" as she spoke of going through "hard times" in her battle with the disease.

Kate, as she is widely called, is married to heir-to-the-throne Prince William and revealed she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in March last year.

After undergoing a course of "preventative chemotherapy", in January she revealed she was in remission and has been gradually returning to public royal duties.

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Visiting a cancer support center at Colchester Hospital in eastern England, the 43-year-old princess told patients, volunteers and staff there that life following cancer treatment was not plain sailing.

"It's a rollercoaster, it's not one smooth plain, which you expect it to be," she said.

"But the reality is it's not, you go through hard times and to have a place like this, to have the support network – whether it's through creativity and singing or gardening, whatever it might be – is so valuable and it's great that this community has it."

Kate added that patients recovering from cancer "put on a sort of brave face" and tend to show "stoicism" but noted that "the phase afterwards is really, you know, difficult".

"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."

Kate, who has three young children with William, last month pulled out of attending the Royal Ascot race meeting as she continues her recovery and gradual resumption of duties.

Her father-in-law, King Charles III, (76) announced in early 2024 that he too had been diagnosed with an unspecified cancer.

He has since returned to public duties but is still undergoing treatment.