Princess of Wales says nature has been 'my sanctuary' amid gruelling cancer battle

The magazine was guest-edited by her husband, Prince William, the Prince of Wales, and published on Wednesday (November 11).

Kate spoke to acclaimed author Robert Macfarlane, known for his writings on landscapes and the living world.

William is following in the footsteps of his father King Charles, stepmother Queen Camilla and aunt Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, by guest-editing the weekly magazine.

The princess described how nature “doesn’t judge us or expect us to perform”, and echoing remarks she made previously about her cancer journey, she said: “I was told in hospital that my recovery would not be linear.

“There will be good days and bad days, that it will take time.

The Princess of Wales said there are “good days and bad days” in her recovery from cancer

PA Wire

“This is the same in nature. It shows us that periods of rest, reflection and renewal are equally as important as moments of growth.”

She described nature as offering something unique.

The future queen said: “It doesn't ask anything of us. It doesn't judge us or expect us to perform.

“It simply allows us to be. It really has been my sanctuary and a place I’ve instinctively wanted to go.”

Asked by Macfarlane where she finds hope, Kate replied that she did so in the lessons taught by nature “that, despite the challenges life may throw at us, we are not alone and that we’re interconnected with something bigger than ourselves”.

The writer told the princess he found hope in watching communities help to protect rivers, as part of their discussion for the special bumper issue.

Prince William has guest-edited the special edition of Country Life

Kate replied: “I couldn’t agree more. It is the sense of hope we find in the darkest of times. We need to find the things that we can do alongside others, ways to connect and give back.”

She also praised Mind Over Mountains, a charity offering professional mental fitness support by bringing together walking in nature, mindfulness and time with experienced wellbeing counsellors.

The princess has long championed the importance, especially for children, of spending time outdoors as part of her work on early childhood development.

She talked how her love of nature started in childhood when she would spend time playing in streams, blackberry picking or “simply time alone in my own world, enjoying the simplicity of ordinary things” and how she felt a sense of freedom “that is hard to find elsewhere”.

“It is something I remind myself to do with my own children; to give them freedom to explore, rather than constantly telling them what to see or what to think”, she said.