Kate Middleton surprised cancer patients at the same hospital where she was treated last year.
On Tuesday, January 14, the Princess of Wales (43) made a rare public appearance at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. During her visit, Kate thanked hospital staff for their care and support following her cancer diagnosis last year, as well as meeting those currently undergoing treatment.
The Princess visited not only to express her gratitude to the staff, but also to highlight the care that the hospital provides. The photos show Kate talking to patients undergoing chemotherapy, as well as hugging another person she met.
“The treatments are really so different and varied that they affect families differently,” the princess said during the visit, reports the BBC.
“I’m just saying, coming to the main entrance here, after so many quiet, private visits, it’s actually pretty nice,” she added of her experience returning to the hospital after finishing treatment.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “The Princess wanted to travel to show her gratitude to the incredible team, but also to highlight the world-leading care and treatment that Marsden provides.”
Kate Middleton talks to Rebecca Mendelhson at the hospital.
CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty
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Shortly after her visit, Kensington Palace announced that Kate and her husband Prince William had 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 honored 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 To His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales under the joint patronage of our specialist cancer centre.”
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Kate Middleton hugs Rebecca Mendelhson during a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London where she was also being treated for cancer.
Chris Jackson/Getty
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“We are incredibly lucky to receive the Royal Patronage – it is inspiring for staff and patients and allows us to shine a light on the extraordinary work our staff do 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 the diagnosis, treatment, research and education of cancer. Today, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is the world’s leading cancer center operating across three sites in Chelsea, Sutton and Cavendish Square in central London.”
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Kate Middleton meets patients at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London where she was also treated for cancer.
Chris Jackson/Getty
Back in September, Kate announced that she was done with chemotherapy after a challenging nine months of treatment. The princess said the end of treatment was a “relief” after an “incredibly difficult” period and said she was “focused” on “doing everything 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 detected.
The announcement comes after Kate underwent “planned abdominal surgery” two months earlier in January 2024.
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Source: HIS Education