Princess of Wales pays special visit to Royal Marsden to 'show her gratitude' for cancer support

01/14/2025 09:19 AM

The Princess of Wales paid a special visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital earlier today, commenting as she walked in through the front doors, "coming in the front entrance here, having made so many quiet, private visits, actually it's quite nice."

The royal, who announced that she had completed preventative chemotherapy last September for an undisclosed form of precancerous cells, made the visit to thank the staff who helped care for her throughout her personal cancer journey.

During her visit, Catherine met with the staff who cared for her as well as other staff members and patients receiving cancer treatments.

Speaking with one patient, Catherine remarked how "The treatments are really so different and varied, it impacts families differently" and that for her own treatments, she felt "like I needed to get the sun. You need loads of water and loads of sunlight."

The royal also spoke with hospital staff, recalling how she'd received the news of her own diagnosis: "It’s the uncertainly of that initial diagnosis. It’s such a wealth of information. Understanding the diagnosis, it’s a massive amount of information to take on as a patient. Having that continuity, in the clinical setting and outside in the home setting, is so important."

And the side effects of treatment, she recalled how "the words totally disappear. And understanding that as a patient, yes there are side effects around treatment but actually there are more long-term side effects."

Before departing, Catherine told a mother who'd been staying with her daughter in the ICU, that "I wanted to come and show my support for the amazing work that's going on here and for those who are going through treatment and having such a hard time," and that "I'm sorry. I wish there was more I could to help."

According to a Kensington Palace spokesperson, Catherine chose to visit the Royal Marsden Hospital "to both show her gratitude to the incredible team, but also highlight the world leading care and treatment the Marsden provides."

It was also announced that Catherine and William have become joint royal patrons of the Royal Marsden Trust.

In a statement shared through Kensington Palace, Dame Cally Palmer, the Chief Executive of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust said that "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."

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