Kate Discusses Cancer, Putting on 'a Brave Face'

Kate, the princess of Wales, discussed what it's like to battle cancer on Wednesday with people who know something about the subject: other cancer patients. The conversation about the treatment and recovery process was part of a visit to Colchester Hospital in Colchester, England, on Wednesday, ABC News reports. "You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism, through treatment," she said. "Treatment's done, and it's like, 'I can crack on, get back to normal again,' but actually that phase afterwards is a really difficult time." Patients talked about what they've gone through, as well.

"It can be very discombobulating, in that time when you've finished active treatment," one of them told Kate, per the BBC. "Your reality has completely changed." Kate announced in September that she had completed chemotherapy, and in January, she said her cancer is in remission, per People. She cautioned the patients about what's ahead. "You're not able to function normally at home as you were perhaps once used to," she said. Saying that "you go through hard times," Kate told the group that a support network is important. "It's great that this community has it," she said. "It would be great if lots of communities had this kind of support."