Princess Kate Makes Surprise Royal Marsden Visit After Cancer Treatment to Support Three Peaks Fundraiser

The Princess of Wales arrived unexpectedly at London’s Royal Marsden Hospital this morning, visiting the specialist cancer centre to see firsthand how money generated by her Three Peaks Challenge is now supporting patients.

Catherine, 44, kept the engagement under wraps as she spent time with hospital teams and patients receiving cancer care, including those benefiting from the hospital’s wider holistic support services.

The future queen has a deeply personal connection to the world-renowned hospital, having received treatment there after her own cancer diagnosis in 2024. In June, she quietly took on the demanding charity trek to raise funds for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Taking on the Three Peaks Challenge alone, the Princess climbed Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, with Mountain Rescue supporting her along the route. Her family proudly greeted her at the final stop at the foot of Snowdon, Wales’s tallest mountain.

Dressed in a much-loved green Suzannah dress and a new pair of black slingback shoes, Catherine was thanked by Royal Marsden chairman Sir Douglas Flint for her fundraising achievement. Speaking with characteristic modesty, she described the challenge as a personal way to “give back” after the “incredible” care she received during her cancer journey.

Smiling as she addressed staff, she said the climb had been her own small gesture of thanks to the people who had supported her.

She reflected on the “incredible care” she had received at the hospital, saying she felt personally grateful to the large team around her. Catherine also highlighted the importance of holistic cancer care, from treatment to therapeutic support beyond the hospital ward, noting that it can make a meaningful difference.

The Princess added that time in nature, good nutrition and strong ongoing support can all play a vital role for patients trying to cope with the physical and emotional challenges of medical treatment.

‘It made a big difference to me and it made a huge difference to lots of patients who I’ve spoken to. Thank you and well done. I think it will be transformative not only for patients but for families too.’

Funds raised through the Princess’s challenge will help enable the development of a new specialist Centre for Holistic Wellbeing and Recovery.

The funding will also support research into how these complementary approaches, alongside clinical care, can make a difference to every person with cancer across the UK.

During the visit, Her Royal Highness heard about progress for The Centre for Holistic Wellbeing and Recovery and saw the site where it will be built. 

Catherine also met patients currently undergoing treatment, and heard how holistic care, integrating physical, emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing, can enhance recovery and healing.

The Princess of Wales became Joint Patron of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, alongside The Prince of Wales, in 2025 following her own personal cancer journey, during which she received treatment at The Royal Marsden.

The Three Peaks Challenge sees participants attempt to scale the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours, including Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Scotland and the UK and Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England.

It has a total walking distance of 23 miles (37km), an ascent of 3,064m (10,052ft) of vertical climbing and a driving distance between the peaks of approximately 462 miles.

A picture released by Kensington Palace showed Catherine beaming with delight at the summit of Ben Nevis, dressed in cold weather walking gear with her famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring on display.

In a personally penned message the Princess – who was diagnosed with an unspecified cancer following major abdominal surgery and underwent gruelling chemotherapy, finally revealing she was in remission a year later – said: ‘Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in this country hear the words no one wants to hear. 

‘What follows is a path that tests every part of who we are: physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. The challenges ripple outwards, touching families, friendships, work and the quiet moments we spend alone with our thoughts.

‘Cancer doesn’t just affect the body. It changes how you think and feel and profoundly affects every aspect of life. I know this personally, and that the journey through and beyond treatment requires more than medicine alone.

‘I have taken on the National Three Peaks Challenge, not simply as a physical endeavour but as a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back. 

‘The Royal Marsden is a place that holds great meaning for me and whose care and expertise are life changing for so many people.’

The princess said she was keen to raise awareness for the ‘deeper impact of serious illness’ and, particularly, the importance of holistic healthcare, which she says complements clinical pathways and ‘support patients’ ability to maintain their wellbeing, resilience and quality of life during an exceptionally difficult time’.

She is keen to enable more people nationwide to access the kind of personalised support ‘that can help make a meaningful difference during and after medical treatment’.

‘Healing, whether personal or collective, is not just about fixing what is wrong. It is about finding balance in how we live,’ she said.

‘Together, we can stand alongside everyone navigating life with cancer, ensuring no one faces this disease feeling unseen or unsupported. Please know you are not alone’

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity launched a specially designed fundraising page for people to donate at www.royalmarsden.org/princessofwales

As a specialist cancer centre, The Royal Marsden champions whole-person cancer treatment and care across the UK and beyond.

Yesterday Catherine made another surprise visit to Everton’s stadium in Liverpool to support the launch of her husband’s suicide prevention toolkit.  

Prince William was due to host the occasion solo before the Princess decided to also attend, marking their first joint royal event since their summer break and the return of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to the UK. 

To launch the initiative, the Prince of Wales was joined by representatives from across the sports world and well-known figures including presenter Gabby Logan, Dame Kelly Holmes, Campbell Hatton and Jill Scott at Hill Dickinson Stadium today. 

Leaning on further star-power, the future king teamed up with famous faces including England captain Harry Kane, F1’s George Russell, footballer Alan Shearer and cycling stars Sir Jason and Dame Laura Kenny to create the new On Your Side ‘toolkit.’

The practical guide enables people to spot the warning signs better, as well as build knowledge and confidence to offer more timely support.

Catherine matched William, who wore a navy suit and tie, in a light blue blazer and coordinating trousers from Edeline Lee, teamed with a white blouse to pay homage to Everton’s home colours. She also sported her £185 Laura Lombardi Portrait chain necklace.

Their outing comes after the King ruled out any role for Prince Harry and his wife Meghan within the Royal Family after they moved back to Britain from the US two weeks ago.

In a letter, the monarch told more than 100 ‘senior stakeholders’ across the country that his son and daughter-in-law are not working royals, with a reminder that their HRH titles remain on ice.

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess said they were ‘surprised’ by the King’s unprecedented letter in a statement issued to the media, claiming the couple had not been told about it in advance.

Palace sources told Our News Outlet that this is ‘incorrect’, insisting Harry and Meghan had received the letter before it was released publicly. However, they were not consulted on its contents.

The Palace made the point the letter was in full accordance with the Sussexes’ stated wish to remain ‘private citizens while in the UK’ and in keeping with the ‘Sandringham Summit’ agreement of 2020, after which the couple set up a new life in the US.

This prompted a jaw-dropping briefing to the Telegraph , which read: ‘The Duke is understood to have taken particular issue with the notion that the couple were to be treated as private citizens. If that were the case, it was claimed, such formal guidance would not be required.

‘The Sussexes prefer the term “public figures,” and would have liked an acknowledgement that, on a personal level, they remained members of the Royal Family, despite no longer receiving public funding.’ Buckingham Palace declined to comment, feeling the letter is sufficient.

William’s initiative is the result of a collaboration between his charitable arm, The Royal Foundation, the British Standards Institution and the charity Chasing the Stigma. 

Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 50 in the UK – and while the campaign is designed to help both sexes, it is hoped that sport will provide a new way of reaching those men who traditionally find it difficult to talk about their emotions or reach out for help.

As well as the practical guide, which will be distributed to sporting organisations both grassroots and professional the length and breadth of the country, stars including Kane and Russell recorded a special film with the prince showcasing the power of having a conversation about suicide.