On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the Princess of Wales, 43, made a rare public outing at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. During her visit, Kate thanked staff at the hospital for their care and support following her cancer diagnosis last year, as well as meeting those currently going through treatment.
The Princess not only made the visit to show her gratitude to staff, but to also highlight the care the hospital provides. Photos showed Kate speaking with patients undergoing chemotherapy, as well as sharing a hug with another individual she met.
“The treatments are really so different and so varied, it impacts families differently,” the Princess said during her visit, per the BBC.
“I was just saying, coming in the front entrance here, having made so many quiet, private visits, actually it’s quite nice,” she added of her experience returning to the hospital after completing her treatment.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said, “The Princess wanted to make the journey to both show her gratitude to the incredible team, but also highlight the world leading care and treatment the Marsden provides.”
Shortly after her visit, Kensington Palace announced that Kate and her husband Prince William have become joint patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
Dame Cally Palmer, Chief Executive of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said of Kate’s visit, “We were honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales to The Royal Marsden in Chelsea this morning, and are delighted that Her Royal Highness is now joining His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales in becoming Joint Patrons of our specialist cancer centre.“
“We are incredibly fortunate to receive Royal Patronage – it is inspiring for staff and patients and enables us to shine a light on the outstanding work our staff deliver every day for patients and their families,” Palmer continued. “The Royal Marsden opened its doors in 1851 as the world’s first hospital dedicated to cancer diagnosis, treatment, research and education. Today, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre operating across three sites in Chelsea, Sutton and Cavendish Square in central London.”
Back in September, Kate announced that she was done with chemotherapy after a challenging nine months of treatment. The Princess said completing her treatment was a “relief” after an “incredibly tough” time and said her “focus” was on “doing what I can to stay cancer free.”
She revealed her cancer diagnosis in a personal video message in March 2024 and called the news a “huge shock.” The type of cancer was not revealed.
The announcement followed Kate undergoing “planned abdominal surgery” two months earlier in January 2024.
