The Princess of Wales is reportedly prioritising her wellbeing and family life as she navigates the demands of royal duties following her cancer recovery. Juggling motherhood with her responsibilities in a slimmed-down monarchy, Kate, 44, has fine-tuned a wellness routine that includes outdoor activities like forest-bathing, cold-water swimming, and tennis.
Finding Inner Calm Amid Royal Pressures
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond noted that the coming months are busy for the royals, with events such as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Ascot, and Trooping the Colour. "Catherine will be on parade for most of them, but these are also busy months in the school calendar," Bond said. "She won't want to miss the sports days and end-of-term activities. So, like many a working parent, she will be juggling her work and home responsibilities."
Bond added that outdoor time with family remains Kate's primary way of unwinding. "At least with the long summer evenings just around the corner, she can enjoy lots of outside time with her family at the end of the school and working day. And that remains her principle way of de-stressing and rebalancing herself."
Wellness Routine: From Tennis to Forest-Bathing
Kate is known to enjoy early-morning tennis, jogging, weight training, and yoga — she even invited her yoga instructor to her wedding to Prince William. She is also a fan of cold-water swimming, which experts say can help with stress responses by releasing dopamine and serotonin. "Personally, I love swimming. Cold swimming, the colder the better," she once said on Mike Tindall's podcast.
Forest-bathing, the Japanese practice of walking slowly in woodland, is another favourite. In a video series celebrating nature, Kate described the outdoors as "a quiet teacher and a soft voice that guides... helping us to heal."
Balancing Work and Motherhood
Kate has previously spoken about "mum guilt" and the challenges of balancing work and family. On Giovanna Fletcher's podcast in 2020, she said, "Anyone who says they don't [feel it] is lying... There's such a pull, but I am such a hands-on mum, and whatever you're doing, you want to make sure you're doing the uttermost best job you can for your children."
Despite having a nanny, Kate likes to take charge in the kitchen, ensuring the family has nutritious meals by 7pm. She enjoys making William's favourite, roast chicken. Since her cancer diagnosis, she has cut back on alcohol, admitting during a visit to a brewery, "Since my diagnosis, I haven't had much alcohol. It's something I have to be a lot more conscious of now."
Supporting the Monarchy Amid Challenges
Kate and William have been at the forefront of a troubled period for the monarchy, with King Charles's own cancer struggles and Prince Andrew's removal from public life. They are a vital support to the King and Queen, who recently undertook a diplomatic visit to the US. Kate admitted at a Buckingham Palace reception that she finds some engagements overwhelming, saying, "I find these environments are really hard. I've also got a very soft voice, so I always get told, 'Speak up a bit louder.'"
Family Time and Future Engagements
The couple recently celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary with a photo taken in Cornwall, showing them lying in the grass with their three children and their dogs, Orla and Otto. They also visited a charity in Walworth and had a romantic lunch at The Goring in Belgravia, where Kate stayed the night before her wedding.
With many key royal engagements approaching this summer, Kate continues to focus on her wellbeing. As she once said, "You have to find your new normal and that takes time... it's a roller-coaster." By putting her health first, she recognises that looking after herself is one of her most important roles.
