Kate Middleton’s viral cancer update video is set to be timeless on TikTok – here’s why

Kate Middleton’s cancer update video, in which she revealed that she is “cancer-free” and has been through chemotherapy, is expected to have a long life on TikTok. Why? A commentator says the video, which showed a rare glimpse into the royal family life with Prince William, was aimed at young people.

On September 9, 2024, the Princess of Wales informed the world about her health. This came after it was revealed in March that she had been diagnosed with an unknown type of cancer. Kate did this in a stylized video in which, unlike her initial cancer diagnosis announcement, she did not speak directly to the camera.

Instead, it showed her, along with her husband the Prince of Wales, 42, as well as Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, frolicking in nature, having a picnic and playing card games. (Kate’s parents also made a brief cameo.)

The video “did not win the approval of older commentators and tabloid columnists,” according to Newsweek. However, it became a social media “hit,” particularly on TikTok.

“There’s this whole extra audience of people who are just going to enjoy all the little moments that people love, separate from the original overall context of Kate’s long message and the long video,” Jack Royston said on The Royal Report podcast. “And I think it will continue to be that way for many years to come.”

“I expect clips from this video to continue to appear on TikTok for years to come. So it will live on in a disassembled form,” he continued.

“[Young people] There’s a lot more on TikTok,” he said. While older generations on X, formerly Twitter, “are the ones who are actually more annoyed about it.”

“So I think they’re looking at it from the perspective that maybe the video is just about what it’s supposed to be about. And the way audiences consume content is no longer the same.”

Snippets of Kate’s cancer update video making the rounds on TikTok aren’t the only reason Royston sees it as “future-proof,” as the medium described it. He suggested that it will keep popping up in the coming years as TikTok content creators are eager to use it in their own videos.

“TikTok was just enjoying the little family scenes,” he said. “TikTok is by far the bigger one. And it’s far more popular among young people. And the core audience that the monarchy needs to speak to these days.”

“Videos that appear on social media are no longer just about what they are about,” he continued. “They are what the fans want to tell them about. And the fan content generated from this video was all positive [sic] Kate. And I think that will actually last.”

What Kate said in her cancer update video

What Kate said in her viral video, she shared that she was done with chemotherapy after an “incredibly hard” time for the Welsh family. Her “focus,” she said, is staying “cancer-free.” She also explained – off-camera – that the experience gave her a “new perspective on everything.”

“More than anything, this time has reminded William and me to reflect on and be grateful for the simple but important things in life that so many of us often take for granted,” she said. “Just to love and be loved.”

As noted in her June 2024 update, Kate is still “approaching each day as it comes.” At the same time, she is looking forward to “further public engagements in the coming months.”

At the time of writing, Kensington Palace has not yet announced a date for Kate’s return to royal duties. However, in the weeks that followed, she had a meeting for her early childhood initiative and was spotted at church.