Kate returns to cancer hospital to say thank you for care she received

Kate met senior figures from the Royal Marsden and said their plans to expand patients’ holistic care through a new centre would be “transformative”.

The future queen, who announced in January 2025 she was in remission, sat down to chat to cancer patients and described one father living with a brain tumour as an “inspiration” after they bonded about the support they received from their children.

The visit came after Kate completed the gruelling three peaks challenge in 24 hours in June, raising funds for the development of a new specialist Centre for Holistic Wellbeing and Recovery at the Royal Marsden in central London.

Speaking to senior executives and clinicians from the specialist cancer hospital, the princess said about her fundraising: “This was my small way of being able to give back and say thank you to you.

“I had incredible care here and support from a huge team and I’m really, really grateful on a personal level.

“But also the holistic care; the treatments and therapeutic support on the outside is so important, it makes a big difference.

“The impact of nature, the impact of good nutrition, good ongoing support around you when it’s really difficult to manage the trials and tribulations of medical treatments … it makes a big difference.

“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.”

The visit was not publicised in advance and was the second in as many days for the princess, after she made a surprise appearance in Liverpool with her husband for the launch of the prince’s suicide prevention tool-kit aimed at the sporting world.

Kate, joint Royal Marsden patron with William, met patients in side rooms before going onto a day ward where a large group were receiving treatments, including chemotherapy, in a communal setting making the process more sociable.

Sam Suriakumar, 41, who was diagnosed six years ago with a brain tumour, told the princess about the support he receives from his two young daughters, his “great” relationship with his neurosurgeon and the ups and downs of living with cancer.

Kate told him “stories like yours are an inspiration”.

Mr Suriakumar, whose tumour has stabilised after treatment and was receiving a regular scan, said after the royal visit: “I felt we were able to connect because of our cancer journeys and because of our kids.

“We were speaking about our kids having to kind of go through that as well, and how much inspiration they gave us to kind of keep pushing forward, so I had a really lovely chat.”

Mr Suriakumar, who works in recruitment and is also a musician, added being diagnosed with cancer makes the priorities in life very clear: “For me it was my daughters, my wife, my family, and the time that I get to spend having those experiences with them, and she seemed to find the same thing as well.”

As she moved around the ward Kate chatted briefly to a woman receiving treatment with her partner nearby. She asked the man are you “OK?” and when he replied yes the princess added, “it’s hard for the loved ones”, then said “nice to come back”.

Kate announced she had cancer in an emotional video in March 2024 that received a global outpouring of support, including from the King, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, politicians and members of the public.

In the footage she spoke about the “huge shock” after tests identified cancer following abdominal surgery and the “incredibly tough couple of months” her family had experienced, with her voice cracking with emotion at times.

Charles has also been open about his cancer diagnosis and continues to live with an undisclosed form of the disease but has effectively fully returned to official duties.

Professor Sanjay Popat, the Royal Marsden’s chief medical officer, said about Kate after the visit: “She’s an incredible person, and what she has done in raising awareness of cancer is huge, and lifting the stigma of cancer and lifting the stigma of being treated with cancer.

“Her approach of focusing on holistic therapies is very important. Holistic therapies are wrap-around treatments that are given alongside conventional treatments to pick patients up at the toughest of times through their treatments.

“We’re talking about psychological support, dietetic support, physiotherapy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, and her raising the awareness of these, of this approach, is very important because it’s a key aspect of improving outcomes for patients.”