The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, shocked the world in 2024 when she announced she had cancer over social media. But along with this news, she also shared some hopeful words for others facing the disease.

To hear her message, see “Kate Middleton’s hopeful words” below or watch the video.

Cancer discovery

The doctors discovered she had cancer after an abdominal surgery. While Princess Catherine, aka Kate Middleton, did not specify what type of cancer, nor clarify if she still has it, she gave her initial announcement in this video:

Universal need for hope

Kate Middleton’s story reminds us that cancer can strike anyone without warning: the old, the young and healthy and even the rich and famous.

This reminds us that we all share a universal need: hope.

Which is why Kate’s words were so powerful.

Kate Middleton’s hopeful words

At the end of her health update, Kate shared these hopeful words for others battling cancer:

“At this time, I’m also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer,” she said. “For everyone facing this disease in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope; you are not alone.”

While her message was brief, only a few sentences long, her advice was powerful. These three phrases offer hope for the fear, pain and loneliness that many are facing:

• Do not lose faith
• Do not lose hope
• You are not alone

At Hope Has Arrived, we exist to help people find hope, strength and peace. While we can’t know everything that Kate Middleton meant by her words, here is our take on these three phrases, and how they can help you find hope on your journey.

Don’t lose faith

When someone faces cancer, it can be very easy to lose faith—belief in oneself, others and even in God.

And what is faith? In a broad sense, it is confidence. And cancer erodes this, especially a person’s confidence in themselves, and perhaps in the goodness of others.

However, losing faith goes much deeper than that. In a spiritual sense, faith is belief in the unseen, especially our Creator God. I believe this is what Kate Middleton was likely referring to.

She was baptized into the church of England, but beyond that she has not disclosed her specific beliefs.

What I do know is the desire to know God is universal, for Princess Kate and for all of us. As Blaise Pascal once said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person.”

This desire especially comes to light when we face hard times, like cancer.

Why losing faith is so hard

Losing faith can be painful, especially because it has proven a timeless source of hope.

A recent survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that 69% of cancer survivors pray regularly about their health. Another survey among women with cancer revealed that 93% said their faith helped them experience hope.

Many people facing cancer find hope through their relationship with God. So when Kate Middleton said to not “lose faith,” certainly it serves as an apt warning—to not lose the thing that might give you the most hope.

To discover more about finding spiritual hope, see “Knowing God Personally” at the end of this article.

Don’t lose hope

At Hope Has Arrived, we often talk about the importance of hope, how having it is like air. Once you lose it, you may feel like you have no zest or energy to move forward in life.

And what is hope? Hope is a belief in a good outcome, one that gives us assurance for the future, even when our circumstances scream the opposite.

Beyond the disease itself, the loss of hope might be the greatest challenge of cancer. Yet, hope is precisely what we need most of all!

Finding hope again

If you are in a place where you believe all hope is lost, please know that you can regain it.

Hope Has Arrived helps people find hope in four powerful ways: stories of hope, strength for the journey, asking God for help and a support group.

To learn more, see “Find Hope Now” on this website.

You are not alone

One of the challenges of facing cancer is how lonely it can make you feel. The experience of fear and pain can be so intense and it can also isolate you from others.

Not only that, when a person’s immune system becomes compromised, sometimes it becomes necessary for them to take a step back socially.

Complicating the loneliness, when someone gets cancer, they may feel like their life has completely stopped and been derailed. Yet, as they look around, everyone else’s life seems to keep moving forward. This can bring acute feelings of loneliness.

However, the truth is, you are not alone—you never were, and you don’t have to be.

Why you are not alone

If you’re going through cancer, there are many others who understand what you are experiencing. Perhaps you and Kate Middleton might have more in common than you think.

While your stories may be different, there is plenty of common ground and understanding on this journey.

And even more than that, there is a loving Creator who longs to help you. He stands ready to do so. It does not matter your background or your beliefs, just that you be open to this relationship.

A prayer for help

Here is how you can begin a relationship with God right now: Knowing God Personally. 

Or you can pray this prayer right now:

“God, I need your help. You are the Creator and I want to know you. Please help me believe that you are real and that you want a relationship with me. Please restore my hope and help me know that I’m not alone. Free me from fear and guide my every step. Amen.”

Next steps

If you asked Jesus into your life, good things are coming.

Just like any other relationship, yours with God will grow as you get to know him better. I encourage you to click on the link below, “I just asked Jesus into my life (some helpful information follows)…”