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In a moving and introspective new project, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, has opened up about her personal healing journey through nature while undergoing cancer treatment.
The first installment of a video series titled Mother Nature premiered on Kensington Palace's social media channels, offering viewers a glimpse into how time outdoors became a vital source of strength and renewal for her.
Narrated by the Princess herself, the three-minute video titled Spring features scenes of her and Prince William in the Isle of Mull earlier this month, capturing the serene landscape and the symbolism of seasonal change.
It is the start of a four-part series, with future videos reflecting Summer, Autumn, and Winter, to be released throughout the year but importantly sees the 43-year-old reflect on the role of Earth in her recovery.
"Over the past year, nature has been my sanctuary," Middleton says in a clip. "The natural world's capacity to inspire us, to nurture us and help us heal and grow is boundless and has been understood for generations.
"Spring is a season of rebirth, of hope and new beginnings. From the dark days of winter, the outside world quietly awakens with new life, and there comes a sense of optimism, anticipation, and positive, hopeful change.
"Just as nature revives and renews, so too can we."
The talk of leaving the darkness of winter links to the fact that she received her diagnosis in January 2024; when the sun sets early at 16:00 GMT in the United Kingdom, which is the same parallel as Canada.
Whilst the talk of spring hints at her treatment process and opening up the news to the world to liberate herself from the pressure of the Royal Family's secrecy, before summer saw her announce she had beaten the condition.
Middleton backs Mental Health Awareness Week
Her message arrives during Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, a fitting time for the launch, as the nation aims to combat the growing epidemic of people struggling with their minds.
In her written message accompanying the video, signed simply with "C" for Catherine, underlines the importance of returning to and reconnecting with nature in an increasingly digitized world.
"This year's Mental Health Awareness Week," Middleton adds. "We are celebrating humanity's longstanding connection to nature, and its capacity to inspire us and help us to heal and grow in mind, body and spirit.
"The Mother Nature series is a reminder and reflection of the beauty and complexity of the human experience. It is a tribute to the lessons we can learn from nature, helping us to foster our own growth, strengthen our bonds with the world around us and each other."
As someone raised in the countryside, the Princess has long championed the therapeutic effects of the natural world through both her philosophy and her initiative. For example, he has backed the Natural History Museum to work with children's hospices.