Princess Kate disclosed a major change to her habits during a March 12 public outing, saying she has largely stopped drinking alcohol since her 2024 cancer diagnosis.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, 44, made the remark while visiting Southwark Brewing Company in London on March 12 with Prince William. She turned down offers of beer and cider as they walked the Bermondsey Beer Mile.
“Since my diagnosis, I haven’t had much alcohol. It’s something I have to be a lot more conscious of now,” Princess Kate told Fabal Beerhall owner Hannah Rhodes during the stop, according to royal editor Matt Wilkinson of The Sun.
Kate also asked Rhodes if the venue offered non-alcoholic brews. “We don’t yet, I’m afraid. I would love to do that one day, but we would need quite a bit of tech to do it properly,” Rhodes said.
The comment is a rare public glimpse into how her cancer experience has changed everyday life. Catherine revealed her diagnosis in a video in March 2024 after surgeons found the illness following abdominal surgery two months earlier. She finished chemotherapy in September 2024 and announced in January 2025 that she was in remission.
At the brewery, Princess Kate chose a soft drink rather than alcohol. While stirring a brewhouse kettle she quipped, “What am I doing?” She then pointed out to onlookers that Prince William remains fond of cider at home. William told the crowd: “I’m a cider man. I like cider. I grew up on cider in the West Country.”
Doctors say cutting back on alcohol can be an important health measure for cancer survivors. Dr. Philippe Spiess, a urologic oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, told ABC News that lifestyle adjustments can help patients regain control of their health after a diagnosis and may lower the risk of other cancers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization both link alcohol use to several cancers, including breast, colorectal, esophageal, liver, and cancers of the mouth and throat. According to the CDC, more than 20,000 people in the U.S. die each year from alcohol-related cancers.
Princess Kate has not revealed the precise type or stage of her cancer, but she has discussed the difficulties of recovery. On a July 2, 2025 visit to Colchester Hospital she described the recovery period as “a roller coaster” and said it is not as straightforward as many expect.
The brewery stop was one of several engagements along the River Thames that day for the couple. They also called at Borough Market, where Princess Kate tried her hand at making coffee at Change Please, a social enterprise, visited Humble Crumble bakery to make desserts, and toured the RNLI’s Tower Lifeboat Station. More on that busy schedule can be found here.
RNLI lead lifeguard supervisor Sydney Horsted called the royals “completely down to earth” and added, “They were just a normal couple, really happy,” in comments to Hello! magazine.
Kate has kept ties with The Royal Marsden Hospital, where she was treated. On March 13 she sent daffodils and a handwritten message to patients and staff: “As spring arrives, these narcissi from the Isles of Scilly are to say I am thinking of you all. Catherine,” she wrote.
One later appearance did include a small traditional drink. On March 17, at the Irish Guards’ St. Patrick’s Day parade in Aldershot, where she serves as Colonel, Princess Kate sipped a half pint of Guinness with service members and their families and even put money behind the bar.
Catherine and William became Joint Patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust on January 14, 2025, reaffirming their support for cancer care and research. William has been the hospital’s president since 2007, a role previously held by his late mother, Princess Diana.
Following her remission announcement, the Princess has slowly resumed public duties while continuing her recovery. The couple are parents to Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.
