Kate's cancer: 'She will deal with it superbly'

Catherine grew in confidence after making her first public speech at Each, according to the charity's former chief executive

The former chief executive of a charity supported by Catherine, Princess of Wales, believes she will be coping well with her cancer diagnosis.

Graham Butland, who shared his own cancer diagnosis on a live radio phone-in, met Catherine when she visited East Anglia's Children's Hospices (Each).

"If she deals with it in the same way she made the transformation to being a member of the Royal Family, she will deal with it superbly," he said.

Last month Catherine, Each's royal patron, revealed in a video statement she was receiving cancer treatment following abdominal surgery.

The princess and Graham Butland in 2019 at the opening of The Nook, in south Norfolk - Each's newest hospice

Each supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. Catherine has been a patron since 2012.

Mr Butland was alongside her at Each's Treehouse hospice in Ipswich when she made her first public speech as a member of the Royal Family.

He said he had watched her grow in confidence.

Graham Butland explaining the charity's plans to Catherine during one of her visits to Each

"The first time she came into a room her head was down and she was shy. Now she lights up the room," he said.

Referring to her diagnosis, he said: "It's more difficult with young children as to how to break it to them."

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In December, Mr Butland, who retired as Each chief executive in 2019, revealed his illness during a BBC Essex phone-in about King Charles's cancer diagnosis.

Mr Butland told listeners he had advanced prostate cancer that had spread to "most of the bones" in his body.

'Quite amazing'

He said the response had been "quite amazing" and he was inundated with emails and phone calls. People he had not been in contact with for decades got in touch.

Mr Butland, who is the leader of Braintree District Council, said he was responding well to hormone treatment and had recently been on holiday to Las Vegas.

He said he was "living with cancer, not dying from it" and that he was determined to stay active.

But he added: "I still get the weepies, which can hit you at any time."

Mr Butland encouraged every man to have a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test regularly.