The healing power of nature has helped sustain the Princess of Wales through her most challenging times. And as she looks to the future with a new perspective on life, her love of the outdoors has unlocked her spiritual side, too.
Last week, Kate, 43, revealed how getting out in nature has brought her a sense of peace and helped her find balance in her life as she recovers from cancer.
© Kensington Palace“I find it a very spiritual and very intense emotional reconnection, I suppose, [being in] these environments,” she said during a visit to the Lake District.
“Not everyone has that same relationship, perhaps, with nature. But it is so meaningful for me as a place to balance and find a sense of peace and reconnection in what is otherwise a very busy world.”
Spiritual awakening
Kate is known for her grounded and practical nature, but royal insiders say that last year’s health crisis has had a transformative effect.
Royal biographer Robert Jobson, author of Catherine: The Princess of Wales, tells HELLO!:”Throughout her illness and recovery, the Princess has certainly reconnected with nature in the same way as the King has, but she has also had a bit of a religious, spiritual reawakening – as has Prince William, I understand.
“I hear they have become more ‘happy clappy’, which isn’t surprising considering what has happened with her health. They are making sure that they are more connected as a family, too.
© Kensington Palace“Catherine has always been an outdoorsy person, but her love of nature has taken on a whole new dimension since her cancer diagnosis. She has learned to appreciate the small, simple things in life all the more.
“As a busy mother, it would be easy for her to forget to get outside every day – but this is now a priority, and she appreciates the sun, the trees and the wildlife around her more than ever before.”
© Kensington PalaceBack to nature
The Easter holidays have given William and Kate a chance to enjoy time in the countryside with Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, who celebrates his seventh birthday this week.
The family decamped to Anmer Hall, their home on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where they make the most of the open spaces and vast sandy beaches on their doorstep.
Activities include going out for bike rides, taking their cocker spaniel Orla for long walks and pond dipping, which involves using a net to scoop up and examine aquatic creatures.
“Kate loves her time in Norfolk and spends so much time in nature there,” a local source tells HELLO!. “When the crowds aren’t around, they head to the beach at Holkham, and down on the water at Burnham Overy. Even when it’s busy, they escape the crowds on a boat.”
The Princess also enjoys the fresh mountain air on family skiing holidays, as well as swimming in the ocean when they visit the Caribbean island of Mustique with her parents.
Meanwhile, Kate has become a fan of “forest bathing”, a Japanese meditative practice that involves walking slowly through woodland, taking in the smells, sounds, sights and textures, and which has been shown to improve heart health and potentially combat cancer.
© InstagramThis change in lifestyle clearly agrees with the Princess, who looked happy and relaxed during her recent trip to the Lake District, where she met a group of Scouts who were busy earning their Naturalist badges.
In a video released last week, Kate, who is joint president of the organisation, was seen laughing and smiling in a sweater, jeans and baker boy hat as she chatted to youngsters and helped them read a map.
© Kensington Palace“Kate was looking so well when I saw her just before Easter – really great. She seemed so relaxed, at ease and grounded; it was really great to see,” the source tells HELLO!.
