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The Princess of Wales has said she is “not out of the woods yet” and has “a few more months” of cancer treatment to go, as she gave an update on her health.

Kate also said she would attend a public engagement tomorrow.

She has been undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy, since being diagnosed with an unspecified type of the disease earlier this year.

In a statement released today, she said she is “making good progress” but has “good days and bad days”.

The statement is accompanied by a new photograph of Kate.

“On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting,” she said. “On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home.”

Kate confirmed she will attend the King’s birthday parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, with her family in London tomorrow.

Kate’s message is full of positive news – but comes with caveats

As the speculation about Kate’s health had again started to build – along with rumours about whether she would be at Trooping the Colour – this will be seen as positive news from a woman, who like every other cancer patient, has clearly been going through a tough time.

Let’s start with the good news. We will see Kate at the King’s birthday parade tomorrow.

It’s a huge occasion for the Royal Family, where we’re almost guaranteed to see Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

As their mother, it is clear Kate wants to be with them and that’s why she won’t just appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony but will be in a carriage alongside her children to watch the military parade, before making an appearance for the traditional flypast.

Read Rhiannon’s analysis in full

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the King is “delighted the princess is able to attend” and “much looking forward to all elements of the day”.

It is understood Kate’s attendance at the event is not to be taken as a return to full public duties.

“[I] hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet,” Kate continued in her statement.

Read more:
Princess of Wales’s statement in full

Kate was pictured surrounded by nature. Pic: Matt Porteous.
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Kate was photographed surrounded by nature in the grounds at Windsor. Pic: Matt Porteous.

“I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Kate’s update would be “especially meaningful to those who are fighting cancer and for their families”.

“They will recognise the same struggle in her words and draw hope and inspiration from her strength,” he added, saying the “whole country is behind her”.

This will be the princess’s first public engagement since December 2023 when she joined the rest of the Royal Family at the annual Christmas Day church service at Sandringham.

King Charles III, Kate, the Princess of Wales, from right, Prince Louis, and Prince George at the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham in Norfolk, England, Monday, Dec. 25, 2023. Pic: AP Photo/Kin Cheung
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Kate with Prince George and Prince Louis on Christmas Day 2023. Pic. AP

She was admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery on 16 January and the operation was made public the following day, when Kensington Palace said she was recovering.

The palace kept details of Kate’s health private in the months that followed.

What will happen tomorrow?

Trooping the Colour will officially begin at 10.30am when the Royal Family leaves Buckingham Palace as part of the procession to Horse Guards Parade.

It is understood William will be on horseback while Kate will travel with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in a state carriage.

The King will arrive at Horse Guards for the Royal Salute at 11am, when a 41-gun salute will be fired from the nearby Green Park.

The royals will then travel back to the palace where the family will gather on the balcony to watch an RAF fly past at 1pm.

It’s understood Kate will join her family on the balcony – though plans could change at short notice depending on her wellbeing.

A picture of Kate with her three children was released to mark Mother’s Day on 10 March – but the snap sparked a photo editing controversy which fuelled online speculation about the princess’s health.

Kate shared her cancer diagnosis with the public on 22 March.

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March: Kate reveals she’s having cancer treatment

At the time, in a pre-recorded video message, she said her planned abdominal surgery in January was successful and while it was initially thought her condition was non-cancerous, tests found cancer had been present.

She then began receiving treatment, including chemotherapy, which started in February, and was recovering in private.

Read more:
William to cheer on England at Euros
Kate ‘extremely moved’ by public support

The Prince of Wales has attended engagements solo since April and given a handful of updates on Kate while meeting with the public.

In May, he said Kate was “doing well” and earlier this month, he told a D-Day veteran she would have “loved” to attend the 80th anniversary commemorations in France.

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Storm Bert: Man dies and 10 rescued after landslide as ‘multiple-hazard event’ causes chaos around UK

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Storm Bert: Man dies and 10 rescued after landslide as 'multiple-hazard event' causes chaos around UK

A man has died and 10 people, including five children, have been rescued after a landslide as Storm Bert batters the UK.

A “multi-hazard event” of snow, rain and strong winds caused chaos and disruption on Saturday, with several weather warnings set to remain in place all weekend.

Separate yellow weather warnings for wind are expected to come into force from 11am on Sunday across Northern Ireland and from midday across the Scottish Highlands, with the Met Office warning delays to rail, air and ferry transport are likely.

Hampshire Police said a man in his 60s died after a tree fell on to a car on the A34 southbound near Winchester on Saturday morning.

Storm Bert live: Follow latest updates

The force said it was investigating whether the incident was linked to the weather. A yellow warning for rain and wind was in place across the area.

In North Wales, five adults and five children were rescued from a house after a landslide.

Met Office latest map - 23 Nov
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Pic: Met Office

A spokesman from the North Wales Fire and Rescue Services said all 10 people were being assessed by ambulance crews away from the scene in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, near Llangollen.

A further landslide was reported in the area, but it is understood no one else was affected.

In Ireland, at least 11,000 properties were without power going into the evening due to the impact of the storm.

Electricity company ESB Networks said earlier on Saturday at least 60,000 homes, farms, and businesses had been left without power due to the weather.

Check out the forecast in your area

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Severe flooding in Irish street

“Crews will continue working late into the evening to restore power to most customers currently without supply,” it said.

“While we are doing everything we can, it is anticipated that some customers will be without supply overnight.”

The National Grid’s Electricity Distribution network which connects directly to homes and businesses in the Midlands, South West England and South Wales, confirmed there were 4,345 properties without power.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said his department would be “keeping in close touch with the energy companies”.

A Met Office spokesperson said winds of up to 82mph were recorded in Wales and 13cm of snow fell in Staffordshire on the first day of the weekend.

Corgarff Castle in Aberdeenshire, surrounded by snow on Friday. Storm Bert is battering the country with strong winds, heavy rain and snow and ice with amber warnings coming into force bringing a "potential risk to life and property". Picture date: Friday November 22, 2024.
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Corgarff Castle in Aberdeenshire. Pic: PA

Two areas in Ireland were issued a rare red warning for heavy rain, which expired at 10am.

London, East Anglia, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Hull and swathes of the Midlands are the only parts of the UK with no current weather warnings in place.

The weather also brought significant disruption to attractions and events, with Edinburgh Zoo and Glasgow Christmas Market closed on Saturday.

People walk through the snowfall during Storm Bert, along Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, November 23, 2024. REUTERS/Lesley Martin
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People walk through the snow in Edinburgh. Pic: Reuters

Also in Scotland, Perth and Kinross Council cancelled its annual Perth Christmas lights switch-on event over safety and travel concerns.

Blackburn Rovers postponed their Championship match against Portsmouth due to “torrential rain” which made the pitch “unplayable”.

A ‘multiple-hazard event’

Met Office meteorologist Jason Kelly described Storm Bert as a “multiple-hazard event”. Looking towards Sunday, he said rain is expected to become “particularly heavy and persistent”.

Accumulations of 50-75mm are expected to fall across the UK, with some places experiencing up to 100-150mm, Mr Kelly said.

Read more:
Why parts of UK saw no sunshine earlier this month

He added: “Rapid melting of lying snow over the weekend may bring flooding for some. Multiple National Severe Weather Warnings are in place and will be added to and amended over the weekend.”

Going into next week, the Met Office predicts sunny spells and showers.

The forecaster says rain and strong winds may reappear on Wednesday, spreading northeast across England and Wales.

Where the warnings are and when

South coast – A yellow warning for wind is in place for the entire south coast of England from 9am until 9pm on Sunday, with a slight chance of damage to buildings and power cuts.

South West – From 6am, a yellow warning for rain is in place in the southwest of England, from Cornwall up to Oxford and stretching to Portsmouth. This is in place until 11.45pm.

Wales – Heavy rain is likely to cause some travel disruption, particularly in South Wales, with a yellow warning across the country lasting 24 hours from 6am this morning.

Midlands, north and Scotland – A yellow warning for rain and snow reaching from Stoke and Nottingham up to all of Scotland started at 4am and stays in place until 9am on Sunday. Manchester, Liverpool and Hull are not affected.

Northern Ireland – A yellow warning for wind comes into force from 11am on Sunday until 6pm, bringing with it the potential of travel disruption.

Scottish Highlands – A second warning will last from midday to midnight on Sunday.

What the weather warnings mean

• Yellow – people are advised to check the details of the forecast and consider extra steps to minimise any impact, while disruption is likely, particularly for travel

• Amber – disruption is more likely and more widespread and people are advised to change plans impacted by weather

• Red – reserved for very dangerous weather that can pose a danger to life and cause substantial travel disruption

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UK on ‘slippery slope’ to ‘death on demand’, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood warns ahead of assisted dying vote

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UK on 'slippery slope' to 'death on demand', Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood warns ahead of assisted dying vote

The UK is on a “slippery slope towards death on demand”, according to the justice secretary ahead of a historic Commons vote on assisted dying.

In a letter to her constituents, Shabana Mahmood said she was “profoundly concerned” about the legislation.

“Sadly, recent scandals – such as Hillsborough, infected blood and the Post Office Horizon – have reminded us that the state and those acting on its behalf are not always benign,” she wrote.

“I have always held the view that, for this reason, the state should serve a clear role. It should protect and preserve life, not take it away.

“The state should never offer death as a service.”

Analysis: Justice secretary’s intervention is potentially embarrassing for the PM

On 29 November, MPs will be asked to consider whether to legalise assisted dying, through Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

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Minister ‘leans’ to assisted dying bill

Details of the legislation were published last week, including confirmation the medicine that will end a patient’s life will need to be self-administered and people must be terminally ill and expected to die within six months.

Ms Mahmood, however, said “predictions about life expectancy are often inaccurate”.

“Doctors can only predict a date of death, with any real certainty, in the final days of life,” she said. “The judgment as to who can and cannot be considered for assisted suicide will therefore be subjective and imprecise.”

Read more: Gordon Brown says assisted dying should not be legalised

Under the Labour MP’s proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.

The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.

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Details of end of life bill released

Read more: Where does the cabinet stand on assisted dying?

However, Ms Mahmood said she was concerned the legislation could “pressure” some into ending their lives.

“It cannot be overstated what a profound shift in our culture assisted suicide will herald,” she wrote.

“In my view, the greatest risk of all is the pressure the elderly, vulnerable, sick or disabled may place upon themselves.”

Kim Leadbeater waits to present the Assisted Dying Bill. File pic: House of Commons/Reuters
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Kim Leadbeater waits to present the Assisted Dying Bill. File pic: House of Commons/Reuters

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, who put forward the bill, said some of the points Ms Mahmood raised have been answered “in the the thorough drafting and presentation of the bill”.

“The strict eligibility criteria make it very clear that we are only talking about people who are already dying,” she said.

“That is why the bill is called the ‘Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill’; its scope cannot be changed and clearly does not include any other group of people.

“The bill would give dying people the autonomy, dignity and choice to shorten their death if they wish.”

In response to concerns Ms Mahmood raised about patients being coerced into choosing assisted death, Ms Leadbeater said she has consulted widely with doctors and judges.

“Those I have spoken to tell me that they are well equipped to ask the right questions to detect coercion and to ascertain a person’s genuine wishes. It is an integral part of their work,” she said.

In an increasingly fractious debate around the topic, multiple Labour MPs have voiced their concerns.

In a letter to ministers on 3 October, the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case confirmed “the Prime Minister has decided to set aside collective responsibility on the merits of this bill” and that the government would “therefore remain neutral on the passage of the Bill and on the matter of assisted dying”.

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‘Immediate action’ taken after blueprints of prisons in England and Wales leaked on dark web

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'Immediate action' taken after blueprints of prisons in England and Wales leaked on dark web

“Immediate action” is being taken after blueprints of jail layouts were shared online.

The maps detailing the layouts of prisons in England and Wales were leaked on the dark web over the past fortnight, according to The Times.

The detailed information is said to include the locations of cameras and sensors, prompting fears they could be used to smuggle drugs or weapons into prisons or help inmates plan escapes.

Security officials are now working to identify the source of the leak and who might benefit from the details.

The Ministry of Justice did not disclose which prisons were involved in the breach.

A government spokesperson said in a statement: “We are not going to comment on the specific detail of security matters of this kind, but we are aware of a breach of data to the prison estate and, like with all potential breaches, have taken immediate action to ensure prisons remain secure.”

The leak comes amid a chronic prison overcrowding crisis, which has led to early release schemes and the re-categorising of the security risks of some offenders to ease capacity pressures.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is launching a sentencing review in a bid to ease the crisis.

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