Kate Middleton Shares Rare Social Media Message amid Cancer Treatment

Kate Middleton has issued a surprise social media message for a cause close to her heart as she continues treatment for cancer.

On Sept. 6, the Princess of Wales, 42, penned a post on X and Instagram Stories for the official accounts she shares with husband Prince William to congratulate adventurer and TV presenter Dwayne Fields on becoming the new Chief Scout of Scouts UK. In 2020, Princess Kate became joint president of the organization, working alongside Queen Elizabeth‘s cousin, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.

“Delighted to welcome @DwayneFields as the new UK Chief Scout,” the Princess of Wales wrote. “The Scouts is such an incredible organisation, teaching #SkillsForLife and making a huge difference to young people across the country.”

“Looking forward to working with you!” the royal wrote, signing the post “C.” Prince William and Princess Kate are known to sign social media posts with the initials of their first names as shorthand to signal when messages come directly from them — and the “C” stands for her full name, Catherine! 

On X, the Princess of Wales reposted the Scouts’ video where Fields introduced himself in his new role and spoke about the impact that the scouting group had on him since he got involved at age 7. 

“Born in Jamaica, Dwayne came to the UK when he was 6 years old. Growing up in North East London in Stoke Newington, with little access to nature, Scouts offered Dwayne access to the outdoors, new friendships and opened new horizons,” a statement said.

The announcement from the Scouts explained that the group gave Fields “skills, belief in himself and place to belong” when he became a Cub Scout.

“Through his determination and support from his Scout volunteer leaders and friends, he set himself on a path to become the first Black Briton to reach the North Pole. He’s passionate about encouraging people from all backgrounds to explore nature, support their communities and be the best they can be,” the statement said.

Princess Kate was a Brownie alongside her sister Pippa when she was a young girl, and revealed during a 2019 visit to the Scouts headquarters in London in 2019 that she’d like her kids Prince George, 11, and Princess Charlotte, 9, to get involved, too. (At the time, Prince Louis, 6, was just a baby!)

“She said she would like them to go into the scouting community because she loves what it stands for — that it’s a very open and inclusive way into life,” said Lauren Noble, who helped show the royal around. “She said it would be a great thing for them to get involved in.”

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Princess Kate had the opportunity to do just that at The Big Help Out volunteer day following the coronation of King Charles in May 2023, when she and Prince William brought their three kids to volunteer at the 3rd Upton Scout Group in Slough to pitch in on various projects.

Kate’s social media post congratulating Fields on his new post marked a rare update, as she remains outside of the limelight while continuing cancer treatment. The Princess of Wales shared the news about her health in March and has reduced her duties since. No expectation has been set around her return to work, and Prince William kicked off his fall schedule with an art gallery visit connected to his Homewards campaign on Sept. 5.