ALEXANDRA SHULMAN’S NOTEBOOK: Kate leads by example in her post cancer life

Those of us diagnosed with cancer have our own definitions of BC (Pre-Cancer) and AD (Post-Diagnosis).

All health problems are life changing, but there is something common in cancer that affects not only the body but also the soul.

Although treatment and survival rates have improved greatly, knowing you experienced this leaves an indelible mark.

So it was great to see the Princess of Wales make a triumphant visit to Italy last week for her foundation promoting pre-school education.

It’s been two years since her planned abdominal surgery revealed cancer, and she’s clearly confident enough to take a solo trip — the first AD she’s ever taken alone.

In making this observation, I agree with many commentators who have made cancer the main focus of his story.

In his case, and that of other public figures who have contracted the disease, I am very aware that the way it has become embedded in the public narrative is deeply frustrating and makes it even harder for them to escape its shadow.

Most of us who have cancer prefer to forget about it and do not want the issue to come up more than necessary.

But it is undeniable that cancer has a huge impact on the way we view the future and even, to some extent, the past.

Constant scans are performed to help detect hidden cells, physical scars from surgery, and most importantly, for those of us who receive a sudden diagnosis, mental scars. All of these affect our perspective on the world.

It’s hard to look forward with joy to a future with clear, blue skies when you go to a routine appointment one day and realize your world has been turned upside down.

That’s why I have great admiration for the Princess who lives her life with such self-confidence. As one of the most famous women in the world, it was impossible for her to keep her condition and treatment completely secret.

Yet he walked the path between knowledge and privacy with great mastery. Now he clearly feels ready to enter a new phase.

Life will never be the same as the blissful unawareness of your existence in BC.

However, by putting herself behind herself in front of everyone she can, she shows that she is now ready to grasp the AD life with both hands and her gorgeous sky blue trousers.

One more reason to reject fat fists

Recent research on the effects of fat injections reveals that almost a third of the weight lost comes from bones and muscles.

This is bad news for older women who are already at risk of osteoporosis, and it adds to my general distrust of these drugs, especially when used by generally healthy people.

Our obsession with the scale is very misguided. The other day I rediscovered the beautiful cocktail dress that Emilia Wickstead designed for me in 2008.

I know it’s history because it was in honor of the party Vogue threw to celebrate the opening of the first Westfield mall.

Now, an incredible 18 years later, I’m delighted to see that it still fits perfectly and yet I’m almost half a stone heavier. Come on figure.

We all know that the number of kilos is not the most important body measurement. Fat-to-muscle ratio and how clothes fit are a much better guide.

Still, even though I know weight is a stupid metric to keep track of, I’m not quite ready to throw away the cruelty of the scale – that lovely shudder of pleasure when they show they’ve lost a few kilos, often followed by the terror of inexplicably gaining them back overnight.

Eighties revival adds color to boring times

One of my claims to fame is that I’ve never read Jilly Cooper. I know books are great, and that’s a gift I’m keeping, along with watching The Sopranos.

Still, I’m looking forward to the second series of Rivals, which will be a welcome change from my diet of grisly thrillers.

Rivals are part of the great revival of the ’80s.

Actress Gillian Anderson appeared on the red carpet at Cannes last week with an incredible curly perm; Prawn cocktail and vol-au-vents are back on the menu, according to Waitrose; Madonna is making a big comeback, appearing at Coachella and the upcoming World Cup final.

Actress Gillian Anderson appeared on the red carpet at Cannes last week with an incredible curly perm

The eighties may be the decade style forgot, but a nostalgic nod to those times can still be a delightful escape from the less glamorous aspects of 2026.

Why do we old people like to party before bed?

A survey by food group Individual Restaurants has found that over-65s are now the biggest partygoers, while younger crowds are less keen on large gatherings.

This is probably true. An older crowd doesn’t have school runs, awake babies or lunches to pack, and many of them are no longer on 9-5 chain gangs, so we can stay here until the wee hours of the morning.

At recent parties, I’ve noticed that the younger crowd, often in their 70s and even 80s, settle in for another glass of wine while they wait for their Uber rides home.

As the grim reaper comes into clearer view, we have every reason to seize the opportunity to celebrate as long and hard as we can.

The dawn chorus is now a loud wake-up call

As for night activities, I know the dawn chorus is an amazing thing, but lately around 4am there’s been a terrible cawing sound coming from outside the park and it’s been going on for hours.

The faint sounds of tits, robins and blackbirds are completely drowned out by this cackling bird, turning what should be a life-affirming tune into more of a drum and bass frenzy.