The Princess of Wales has opened up about her cancer recovery and revealed the “vital” healer that assisted her path to wellness.

The princess spoke to Country Life reporter Robert Macfarlane for a special segment on the “power of nature”and the role it has played throughout her life.

“I don’t know if it is connected, but, if you are happy to talk about it, how did nature play a role in your recovery from illness?” MacFarlane asked.

The mum-of-three responded by revealing what doctors told her after her cancer diagnosis.

“I was told in hospital that my recovery would not be linear. There will be good days and bad days, that it will take time,” she said.

“This is the same in nature. It shows us that periods of rest, reflection and renewal are equally as important as moments of growth.”

The princess said nature allowed her to “find a deeper connection to my mind, body and spirit” as she was trying to heal.

“I think that’s because nature offers something unique. It doesn’t ask anything of us.

“It doesn’t judge us or expect us to perform. It simply allows us to be. It really has been my sanctuary and a place I’ve instinctively wanted to go.

“If you look at the natural world, it is hardly ever stagnant; if it is, it’s rarely healthy.

“This has really helped me, thinking about how flow and movement can shift something inside you, whether in your body or your mind or your thoughts.”

Kate Middleton said humans had always turned to nature but now science was starting to catch up on its healing benefits.

“Whether it is the beach for healing and recovery, the countryside for peace and perspective or the mountains to find solitude, people have long sought comfort in the natural world.

“It is such a restorative environment and incorporating nature into someone’s recovery pathway is vital.”

The Princess of Wales revealed in January last year that she was in remission from cancer.

She underwent a course of preventative chemotherapy after major abdominal surgery in January 2024 revealed the presence of cancer.