Princess Kate made an emotional visit to Royal Marsden Hospital on her first significant solo engagement since her treatment ended.
Princess Kate Went To Marsden To Show Support To The Staff And Patients
Marsden is the hospital where she received treatment. Today, she arrived at the hospital as a visitor rather than a patient.
She spoke to cancer patients with empathy and an understanding of what they have endured. Kate also thanked the staff for their “exceptional care, support, and compassion over the past year.”
The Princess Of Wales sympathized with those patients undergoing treatment and talked about how she was still dealing with the long-term effects of chemotherapy.
The patients appreciated Kate’s first-hand knowledge of the illness. She hugged Tina Adumou, who broke down because her daughter is in intensive care.
The woman’s story moved Catherine, who was told she was in the right place.
“I’m sorry. I wish there was something more I could do to help,”
She said.
She added,
“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.”
Kate told them that she thought it would be easier to carry on with her daily tasks when she finished treatment.
However, she still has long-term side effects. After she told the patients that cancer affects families in different ways, someone remarked that the Princess had
“managed the children amazingly well.”
Kensington Palace shared that Princess Kate will join her husband, Prince William, as joint royal patron of Marsden, a role that William’s mother, Princess Diana, once held.
The Princess Let Patients Steer Their Interactions With Her
The Princess emphasized the importance of positivity during cancer treatment. She encouraged them to find joy in the small things as much as possible and take it day by day.
Princess Kate was very kind to the patients and let them steer the conversation, and if they needed a hug, she was happy to provide that contact.
She also spoke with Katharine Field, a breast cancer patient who brought a friend to keep her company during treatment.
Kate shared her experience, saying she preferred to go through treatment privately but understood that companionship is comforting to some people.
Princess Kate also met Kerr Melia, who has gastroesophageal cancer and was diagnosed five years ago.
“You’re a strong man,”
She said.
“I’ve had a tiny taste of what you’ve been through, and you’ve had to keep coming back.”
Kate stopped to speak with other patients without the press involved. She also met Royal Marsden Hospital’s therapy dog, Scout, and bent down to give her a pet.
“I bet patients absolutely love her,”
Kate exclaimed.
The Princess praised the staff and said she’d heard from several patients how much their care and kindness had helped them.
William And Kate Now Have A Joint Role As Patrons At Marsden
In a statement by Kensington Palace today to announce the future King and Queen’s new joint role,
“The Prince and Princess of Wales have today become joint patrons of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.”
They continued,
“The patronage update has been announced following a visit by Her Royal Highness to the hospital’s Chelsea site earlier today and follows the Princess’ own personal cancer journey, during which she received treatment from the Royal Marsden.”
Kate announced that she had completed chemotherapy in September. Today, she shared that she’s now in remission.
In a message on social media, she wrote,
“It’s a relief to now be in remission, and I remain focused on recovery. As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal.”
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