Moments of the Princess of Wales’s family life, from snuggling with the Prince of Wales to spending precious time with her children, feature in footage released by Kate as she opened up about her cancer journey.

The montage, by filmmaker Will Warr, captures the princess enjoying the summer sunshine in the Norfolk woods with William and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Embraces between the princess and her husband appear throughout, with a message from Kate played as a voiceover against a backdrop of gentle music.

Kate is shown cuddling into William, with her head on his shoulders as he holds and pats her hand, as they sit on a picnic blanket in the forest.

William and Kate hug one another on the beach in the footage
William and Kate hug one another on the beach in the footage (Will Warr/Kensington Palace/PA)

They also laugh as they lie side by side on a beach, Kate with her arm around her husband, and William is later seen kissing his wife of 13 years playfully on the cheek and the neck.

Kate has confirmed she has finished chemotherapy and is looking forward to carrying out a light programme of engagements over the coming months, but with her focus on doing what she can to stay cancer free amid a long path to full recovery.

The family is seen happily, and competitively, playing cards around a table with Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton.

There are hugs for Charlotte and a cuddle and kiss on the head for George from Kate, and Louis is shown embracing his father William.

Daredevil Louis climbs high in a tree, watched by Kate at the bottom, and William uses a playing card to remove a green caterpillar from Charlotte’s hair, showing it to her which makes her squeal.

In another clip, George peers into the camera and asks: “Is this filming?” and Charlotte and Louis press their faces near the lens giggling and both saying “Hello”.

Kate and her children clamber onto hay bales and, on the beach, George and Louis charge fully clothed through the sea, while Charlotte and Kate skip over the waves.

Princess of Wales cancer announcement
Kate and William sitting together in the woods (Will Warr/Kensington Palace/PA)

Filmed earlier in the summer, the video features slowed-down shots of the princess, in a printed boho summer dress, walking through the forest looking up at the trees, as she tells how “the last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family.”

“Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown,” she says.

Kate is pictured, bathed in sunlight, looking with her arms crossed and her head tilted upwards as she leans against the trunk of a tree.

She also wanders through a wildflower meadow and holds a butterfly in her hands, against the sound of her recorded message as she says: “I remain with you, side by side, hand in hand. Out of darkness, can come light, so let that light shine bright.”

Kate holds a butterfly in her hands
Kate holds a butterfly in her hands (Will Warr/Kensington Palace/PA)

The princess is seen in a pale blue summer dress and white trainers walking in a line – one behind another – through the woods with her family.

She can be heard saying “You lead the way”.

Louis, throwing and catching a tennis ball, walks slightly ahead while the family dog Orla, a black cocker spaniel, bounds along.

Next is Charlotte, with Kate behind carrying a blanket and a rucksack, William in a collared t-shirt and shorts, and a smiling George carrying a yellow plastic cricket bat.

Kate is also seen behind the wheel of a Land Rover, as she drives through the country lanes.

Some of the footage of the family, where they are sat on a wall and walking along hand in hand or on the beach, comes in the form of an archive-home movie style filter.

Kate is shown pushing Louis on a swing, as the youngster stands up, and the Waleses clamber over logs, finding bugs as they enjoy the natural world.