Princess Kate embraces Shinrin-yoku as she tries alternative healing

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A brand new biography of the Prince and Princess of Wales by Mirror royal editor Russell Myers provides never-before-seen insight into how Kate privately managed her cancer treatment

Princess Kate’s life was turned upside when she found out that she had to undergo chemotherapy, but she worked hard to find solace and healing. When the Princess of Wales announced she had to undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy in an emotional video address, it sent shockwaves across the nation.

The future Queen explained to the public in the candid statement that she would be stepping back from her royal duties temporarily to focus on her health – and behind closed doors she found her own way towards healing, a new biography reveals.

Penned by Mirror royal editor, Russell Myers, William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story is the first joint biography of the couple to be published in over a decade – and provides huge new insight into their private lives, and the turbulent period the Wales family have just battled privately as Kate underwent cancer treatment.

Filled with never-before-seen revelations, the explosive book includes exclusive access to palace insiders and other sources close to the future King and Queen, shedding new light what the fiercely private couple have gone through behind closed doors. Kate’s heaped praise publicly on the medical team that treated her throughout her chemotherapy, and been candid about the challenges she faced during her official engagements.

When visiting a hospital in Essex in 2025, she admitted that she felt pressure to “put on a brave face” but pointed out that amid their treatments many patients find they are “not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to.”

READ MORE: Prince William ‘never liked stain on the family Andrew’ after aggressive outburstsREAD MORE: Pippa Middleton’s hidden support role – from Kate’s cancer statement to entertaining kids

However, Myers reveals in the explosive new biography, Kate began a practice privately whilst she was unwell that has ancients roots, and she credits with playing an important “role in her recovery”.

“From the start of her programme of treatment, Catherine immersed herself in what she described to friends as “natural healing” – embracing the art of ‘shinrin-yoku’. A national pastime in Japan, also known in the West as ‘forest bathing’, it has been credited with reducing stress and promoting well-being,” Myers explains in the book, which is being serialised in the Mirror.

“She is a big believer in the natural world and its ability to help us heal,” a source told the author. “Having that mantra definitely helped the family connect during her treatment because they were able to spend so much time together, and getting outside in nature was a huge factor in her recovery.”

Since returning to public life, Kate has released a four-part series of “Mother Nature” videos, which explored the offerings of each season: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Each of the videos were shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official social media channels, and when captioning the Winter instalment, which marked the end of the series, it was clear just how important the project had been for the future Queen.

“The Mother Nature series has been a deeply personal, creative reflection on how nature has helped me heal. But it is also a story about the power of nature and creativity in collective healing,” Kate captioned the video. “There is so much we can learn from mother nature, as we look to build a happier, healthier world.”

The new biography provides exclusive context to about the biggest stories to have followed Kate and William over the last few years, from their perspective on how to deal with the problem of the former Prince Andrew – which saw them go against the late Queen and Charles – to their reaction to Harry and Meghan’s move across the pond.

Myers explores how the couple have managed the adversity in their personal lives, and that facing the monarchy itself, whilst living under intense scrutiny.

Russell Myers said: “The diagnoses of the Princess of Wales and the King within days of one another created the most unprecedented period in modern royal history. This book delves into the deeply personal experience of both Prince William and the princess, that has seen them face adversity and come out stronger, emboldening their vision of how they want to shape the monarchy in the future.”

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William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, published on 26 February by Ebury, Penguin Random House, is available to pre-order now.

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk