The Princess of Wales has visited the hospital where she was treated for cancer to thank staff and meet patients, in what palace aides called an important moment in her “personal journey”.
During her unannounced visit to the Royal Marsden in London, Catherine shared her shock at her own diagnosis and urged patients to keep positive and do “the things that give you joy”.
It had not been previously disclosed which hospital the princess, who underwent chemotherapy last year, was treated at. Arriving at the hospital’s main entrance, she said: “Coming in the front entrance here, having made so many quiet, private visits, actually it’s quite nice.”
Sharing details of her own treatment, she told one chemotherapy patient: “It’s really tough. It’s such a shock. Everyone said to me please keep a positive mindset, it makes such a difference.”
She added: “When I came in everyone said make sure you have all your warm things [clothes] on,” because of the side-effects of chemotherapy.
Of the importance of looking after yourself during and after treatment, she revealed: “I really felt like I needed to get the sun. You need loads of water and loads of sunlight.”
The princess hugging Rebecca Mendelhson at the hospital. Catherine spoke of her shock at receiving a cancer diagnosis. Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Catherine said she was doing well but recalled the cycle of treatment, saying: “Sometimes you feel relatively well, and then you have another one. Sometimes from the outside we all think you’ve finished treatment and you go back to things. But it’s hard to get back to normal.”
She told several patients that it was important to keep “doing the things that give you joy”. She added: “It makes you appreciate all the small things in life that you take for granted.”
When speaking to one woman whose machinery started beeping, signalling that treatment was needed, the princess remarked: “I recognise that beep.”
Speaking about receiving a diagnosis, the princess said: “It’s the uncertainty 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.”
She added: “You think the treatment has finished and you can crack on and get back to normal, but that’s still a real challenge. 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.”
Catherine met medical teams working in different roles at the hospital’s Chelsea site, and spent about an hour chatting to staff and patients. Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “The princess wanted to make the journey to both show her gratitude to the incredible team, but also highlight the world-leading care and treatment the Marsden provides.”
Catherine met medical teams working in different roles at the hospital’s Chelsea site, and spent about an hour chatting to staff and speaking with patients.
The visit came almost a year after the princess was admitted to the London Clinic for abdominal surgery on 16 January 2024, and marked news that she has become a joint patron of the Royal Marsden hospital trust, alongside her husband. She was diagnosed with cancer while recuperating from that abdominal surgery.
Kensington Palace was keen to stress her return to public-facing duties would be gradual. “Today was about visiting the Marsden to reflect on her own personal journey,” a spokesperson said.
