The Princess of Wales has visited the Royal Marsden Hospital to thank staff who looked after her during her cancer treatment.
Kate also met other patients at the London hospital – with the visit the first confirmation of where the princess was treated.
Arriving at the main entrance, she said it was nice to enter publicly after “having made so many quiet, private visits”.
Kate spent about an hour meeting people, including patient Katherine Field who was starting her first day of treatment.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said she wanted to “show her gratitude to the incredible team, but also highlight the world-leading care and treatment the Marsden provides”.
Kate, 43, said in September she had finished chemotherapy for an undisclosed form of cancer and called the last six months “incredibly tough”.
In March 2024, the princess confirmed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy, after tests following abdominal surgery had found cancer had been present.
Prince William praised his wife’s strength last week, sharing a picture to mark her birthday and calling her “the most incredible wife and mother”.
He added: “The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable. George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W.”
Kate will now join Prince William as a royal patron of the Royal Marsden – a leading specialist cancer hospital that treats more than 59,000 patients every year.
Kensington Palace stressed that the princess’s return to public-facing duties would continue to take place gradually.
Prince William described 2024 as “brutal” and probably “the hardest year” of his life, after the King was also diagnosed with cancer.
Royal correspondent
It was almost a year ago that we were all shocked to hear that the Princess had been admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery. We all now know how those difficult following months unfolded.
So this first visit of the new year by the Princess of Wales was the most public of thank yous to those who supported and treated her at the Royal Marsden.
It’s not a fleeting show of appreciation, with the confirmation that Kate will now become a joint patron for the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation, joining Prince William’s long held link with the hospital.
Just like the King, it shows that highlighting the incredible work of medical professionals and the human side of what it’s like to face a cancer diagnosis is clearly now an integral part of how the Princess wants to use her very public profile.
In terms of what it means for how much we’ll see of Kate this year, Kensington Palace was keen to stress that the guidance around her return to public-facing engagements hasn’t changed and that would continue to be gradual.
Today was about visiting the Marsden to reflect on her own personal journey.
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