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Privacy NoticeKate Middleton has revealed the surprising hobby she enjoys that left husband Prince William branding her “crazy”. Light exercise is usually prescribed as people recuperate from illness and unsurprisingly, for someone who was in the hockey and tennis team at Marlborough College, Kate is very sporty. In 2023, she revealed why she loves exercise so much to Mike Tindall, for his podcast The Good, The Bad And The Rugby. She said, “I really, genuinely, love all sports. I can always remember being physical, using our bodies, whether it’s walking, climbing the Lake District, in Scotland [or] swimming from a young age. [My parents] always encouraged us to be physically active and sporty and they always encouraged us into doing team sports and trying things.” She added, surprisingly, “Cold swimming – the colder, the better. I absolutely love it. Slightly to the point where William’s [saying] ‘You’re crazy’ and it’s dark and it’s raining. I will go and seek out cold water. I love it.”
Kate admitted that she loves cold water swimming
(Image: dukeandduchessofcambridge/Instagram)
It’s doubtful Kate’s medics will be advising her to go cold water swimming just yet, amid her ongoing cancer treatment, but the princess will have had a summer of being able to watch sport while she recovers – including her trip to Wimbledon with Charlotte and her sister Pippa Middleton. A slightly less strenuous hobby that could be taking up her time is gardening and growing vegetables with her children. In July, Kate released a statement in honour of the Natural History Museum’s new gardens, and paid tribute to the healing powers of nature. “I am hugely supportive of the museum’s commitment to create a special space which encourages people of all ages to reconnect with nature and learn more about how we can protect our natural world,” said Kate, who is the museum’s patron. “I know the power of nature to support our development and well-being, both by bringing us joy and helping to keep us physically, mentally and spiritually healthy. I hope these gardens will be inspiring and transformative for the thousands of people who visit.” Earlier this year, royal expert Jennie Bond said, “Catherine has always taken great strength and inspiration from outdoor life, and there is something so reassuring and optimistic about the green shoots of spring.” In a 2016 video made with Prince William and Prince Harry to support the Heads Together runners taking part in that year’s London Marathon, Kate said, “Mental health is just as important as physical health.” There is no doubt that as Kate has been recovering from her chemotherapy treatment this year, she will have been prioritising her own mental wellbeing just as much as her physical recovery, knowing that mindset is an important tool in the battle against cancer.
Kate said William thinks she’s “crazy” for going cold water swimming
(Image: Getty Images)
In the statement she released on 14 June ahead of her return to the spotlight at this year’s Trooping the Colour, she revealed that she has been prioritising activities that bring her happiness. “My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months,” she explained, adding, “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.” She added that she was looking forward to joining a few public engagements this summer, while still acknowledging that she is not “out of the woods” yet. Over the children’s school holidays, it’s believed the Wales family are likely to be dividing their time between Adelaide Cottage in Windsor and Anmer Hall in Norfolk, where she will have been treasuring precious time with George, Charlotte and Louis, who don’t return to Lambrook until September. But aside from the love of her three children and those close to her, what are the things that will be helping Kate heal? There’s no doubt she will have had a camera close to hand, as photography – which she did a dissertation on as part of her History of Art degree at the University of St Andrews – is one of her great passions.
Kate adores photography and takes many of the royal family’s portraits
(Image: Getty Images)
This year, the Wales family shared photographs taken by Kate to celebrate Father’s Day on 16 June and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ respective birthdays on 22 July, 2 May and 23 April. In 2022, Claudia Acott Williams, curator of the Kensington Palace exhibition Life Through A Royal Lens, revealed that Kate had confided it was her grandfather Peter Middleton who sparked her interest in photography. She said, “Her grandfather was a very good photographer. When she was a child, he would show her his slides. It was him who taught her how to take photographs.” During lockdown, Kate launched a photography competition called Hold Still, encouraging people all over the UK to send in their snaps. The royals were no different to the rest of the country during that time, isolating at home with their respective families, and Kate clearly found respite by taking pictures of her family. She said, “Through Hold Still I wanted to use the power of photography to create a lasting record of what we were all experiencing – to capture individuals’ stories and document significant moments for families and communities as we lived through the pandemic.”
It’s no secret that Kate is super sporty
(Image: Getty Images)
Queen Camilla even gave Kate the honour of shooting her for her 75th birthday Country Life cover. Camilla said, “She did very good pictures and she does it sort of naturally. We had a lot of fun doing it. It was very relaxed. She came with her camera and she’s an extremely good photographer.” Through all these passions of Kate’s we see the common thread of what’s important to her: that making sure that you do what you love helps you to stay “mentally fit”. It remains to be seen how her experience of cancer will inspire her in her future royal campaigns and charities she chooses to support, but royal expert Duncan Larcombe tells OK! he would be surprised if she did not use her experience to support others in crisis. He said, “I think that somewhere down the line she will end up championing the cause of whatever the diagnosis and complications for her have been. While Kensington Palace are not going to give a running commentary now, I think we will find out in some detail what Kate has been through and what her family has been through. “She will do that because she is Kate, because that’s the kind of person she is, and she will want to show that empathy. As a cancer survivor, she will want to pass on that experience of her lowest moments.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnKate MiddletonPrincePrince HarryPrince William
