Princess Kate breaks royal tradition on Mother’s Day as she opts out of posting family photo for the first time
In a break from tradition, the Princess of Wales marked Mother’s Day on Sunday this year with a heartfelt video.
While the royal typically marks the special occasion with wholesome family photos, Princess Kate switched things up for 2025 by sharing a short clip celebrating the power of Mother Nature.
Posted on Prince William and Princess Kate’s official social media pages, the video featured a number of different natural environments from across the UK, including woodlands, fields, beaches and the ocean. Clips included the slow unfurling of a daisy, plumes of fog rolling down a craggy hill and a tiny ladybird inching its way along a blade of grass.
The footage also featured two shots, taken by Will Warr last summer in Norfolk, showing Princess Kate and Prince William. One showed Kate with her palms pressed against a tree trunk, while a second showed William walking through a field with two dogs.
© Getty ImagesAn accompanying message read: “Over the past year, nature has been our sanctuary. This Mother’s Day, let us celebrate Mother Nature and recognise how our bond with the natural world can help not only nurture our inner selves, but remind us too of the role we play within the rich tapestry of life. C.”
The natural world as a tonic
Since going public with her cancer diagnosis, the mother-of-three has sought comfort from the natural world. In July last year, Kate, who is now in remission from cancer, spoke about the “power of nature” as she helped to launch the Natural History Museum’s Urban Nature Project.
At the time, she wrote a message on Instagram which in part read: “I know the power of nature to support our development and wellbeing, both by bringing us joy and helping to keep us physically, mentally and spiritually healthy.”
© Getty ImagesHere, Kate’s reference to nature “bringing joy” could be a nod to her own health journey and how she’s used the outdoors as a tonic.
Timeline of Princess Kate’s health updates
© Getty25 December 2023 – Kate is last seen publicly on Christmas Day
9 January 2024 – Kate celebrates her 42nd birthday, with the King and Queen sharing a behind-the-scenes photo from the coronation to mark the day.
11 January 2024 – William returns to royal duties, meeting rugby heroes Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield at Headingley Stadium in Leeds.
17 January 2024 – Kensington Palace announces in a statement that Kate has undergone abdominal surgery at the London Clinic and that William has temporarily stepped back from royal duties to care for Kate and their children.
18 January 2024 – William visits Kate at the London Clinic.
26 January 2024 – King Charles visits Kate in hospital before undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate.
29 January 2024 – Kate is discharged from hospital and returns home to Windsor to continue her recovery. King Charles also leaves the London Clinic on the same day after his treatment.
7 February 2024 – William resumes royal duties attending London’s Air Ambulance Charity gala with Tom Cruise.
10 February 2024 – William and Kate spend February half-term with George, Charlotte and Louis at their Norfolk home, Anmer Hall. Kate’s siblings are also pictured on holiday during the school holidays, with James Middleton and Alizee Thevenet flying to the Caribbean with baby Inigo, and Pippa Matthews and her family holidaying on the island of St Barts.
27 February 2024 – Kate said to be “doing well” as William pulls out of King Constantine memorial due to a “personal matter”.
29 February 2024 – Kensington Palace addresses social media speculation, reiterating: “We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter.”
10 March 2024 – A photograph of Kate with their three children at home in Windsor is released to mark Mother’s Day and to thank the public for their “continued support”.
11 March 2024 – Kate publicly apologises for the “confusion” around the photograph as she admitted she “occasionally experiments with editing,” after news agencies pulled the image amid claims it had been digitally altered. The Princess is then seen in a car with William as she’s driven to a private appointment in London.
19 March 2024 – Footage of William and Kate leaving the Windsor Farm Shop is shared by The Sun and TMZ in the first video sighting of the Princess since surgery.
22 March 2024 – Princess Kate confirms that she has been diagnosed with cancer in a moving video message and is undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
18 April 2024 – Prince William returns to royal duties after spending Easter holidays privately as a family.
10 May 2024 – Prince William says Kate is “doing well” as he visits the Isles of Scilly.
21 May 2024 – Princess Kate is “excited” as Kensington Palace shares update on her early years work with the release of her Business Taskforce’s prioritising childhood report.
8 June 2024 – Princess Kate writes letter to Irish Guards to apologise for not being able to take part in the salute at the Colonel’s Review.
14 June 2024 – In a personal statement, Kate shares she is making “good progress” and that her “treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months”.
15 June 2024 – Kate makes her first major public appearance since diagnosis at Trooping the Colour.
14 July 2024 – Kate watches the Men’s final at Wimbledon with Princess Charlotte and Pippa Matthews.
11 August 2024 – William and Kate congratulate Team GB athletes in a video message after the Paris 2024 Olympics.
9 September 2024 – Kate confirms she’s completed chemotherapy in moving video message.
10 October 2024 – Kate joins William on visit to bereaved families in Southport.
9/10 November 2024 – Princess attends Festival of Remembrance and Remembrance Day service at Cenotaph.
3 December 2024 – Kate greets Emir of Qatar alongside William during state visit.
6 December 2024 – The Princess of Wales hosts her Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey.
25 December 2024 – William and Kate attend the Christmas Day church service in Sandringham with the royals.
14 January 2025 – The Princess confirms she’s in remission after visiting The Royal Marsden hospital in London – where she was treated.
In June, she spoke of making “good progress” and opted to share a photograph taken outdoors. Her message read: “I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days.
“On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.”
The natural world also featured in a moving video message shared in September to confirm that Kate had completed a course of preventative chemotherapy. Shot by Will Warr at their Norfolk family home, the family-of-five could be seen walking through the woods as well as sharing a picnic.
© InstagramTo mark World Cancer Day this year, meanwhile, the 43-year-old released a photograph of herself posing with her arms outstretched in a woodland scene. An accompanying message read: “Don’t forget to nurture all that which lies beyond the disease.”
The picture, taken by Prince Louis, is said by Kensington Palace to reflect how spending time in nature has been important to the Princess.
