Angela Terry tells PEOPLE that the Princess of Wales’ stop at the hospital served as “a great message of hope”
Kate Middleton‘s visit to a London hospital where she had cancer treatment last year made a real impact, but one cancer patient says there’s no need for the royal to disclose her diagnosis.
Angela Terry met the Princess of Wales during her emotional stop at The Royal Marsden Hospital on Jan. 14, and exclusively tells PEOPLE that Kate’s presence provided a huge boost.
“She was there to say thank you to the people who had looked after her, talk to patients who were in a similar situation,” Terry tells PEOPLE. “It was a great message of hope because she looked so well. We don’t need to know what cancer she had. We just know she’s been through surgery, she’s been through chemo — and one year later, my goodness, look, she is here.”
Terry, 71, was diagnosed with EGFR-positive lung cancer in 2019 and serves as the non-executive chair of EGFR Positive UK, a charity for mutation driven lung cancer. She was at the Royal Marsden for treatment on Tuesday when she met Princess Kate, who unexpectedly stepped out there to “show her gratitude to the incredible team, but also highlight the world leading care and treatment the Marsden provides,” a Kensington Palace spokesman said.
It was confirmed then that Princess Kate received treatment at the Royal Marsden during her cancer journey and had become a patron of the hospital with Prince William. The princess was outside of the spotlight for most of 2024 to focus on her health after announcing last March that she was undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. Kate said then that the cancer was detected during the abdominal surgery she had that January, a procedure the palace described as “planned.”
In September, she announced with “relief” that she had completed chemotherapy and said after the hospital stop on Jan. 14 that she is in remission.
Terry tells PEOPLE that she respected how Princess Kate relayed that she is in remission after visiting the Royal Marsden out of consideration for the all patients she met with.
“It might have been difficult if she had come in talking about her experience about being in remission first because some people who are really very ill might never get to remission and that would have felt tricky. But she chose to do that after she had left which speaks volumes,” the charity chair says.
“When I read later in the day that Kate is in remission, that doesn’t mean she’s through it. This disease changes you, but it also gives you an opportunity to think: ‘Okay, who am I now? Who do I want to be?’ ” she explains. “It’s an opportunity to be true to yourself and choose to let certain things go, friendships or other things that no longer make sense. It’s such a weird disease, it stops you and makes you evaluate and review your life which can be exciting.”
The charity chair tells PEOPLE that she was a “fan” of Princess Kate to begin with, “but she was so much more than I expected her to be” regarding her demeanor in meeting everyone.
“She has such poise and elegance, extremely genuine and sincere. She is very personable. I watched her talking to other patients and she’s amazing,” Terry says. “She has this gentle eye contact as she talks, she reaches out and maybe touches their shoulder or holds their hand and her smile is always there. The level of connection she makes with each and every person she meets is phenomenal.”
Terry was diagnosed with stage IV EGFR positive lung cancer after a skiing accident six years ago, when a related X-ray revealed that she had a malignant tumor later confirmed as cancer.
“My cancer is uncurable but treatable and I’m on medication that keeps the cancer under control but at some point the cancer will mutate and find a way around it,” Terry tells PEOPLE, adding that she’s “doing really well” with her health today.
The advocate was at the Royal Marsden for care when she crossed paths with Princess Kate, who surprised her with kindness.
“I’m still buzzing, it was so fortuitous because I was literally the next one in for bloods. I just caught her eye as she walked past and said to her ‘You look wonderful,’ because she did, she looked fabulous given everything she has been through and she just smiled and said ‘So do you,’ ” Terry tells PEOPLE.
