On Tuesday, Princess Kate deeply moved royal fans when she made a surprise visit to see cancer patients at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.
The hospital is where the Princess of Wales underwent chemotherapy for her own cancer last year, and during her recent visit, she shared the incredible news that her cancer is now in remission.
For royal expert Jennie Bond, Kate could not have chosen a more perfect first royal engagement of 2025.
"What a great start to the year, to see Catherine carrying out a solo engagement so early in the month," Jennie told the Mirror.
"And what a natural choice for her: to visit the hospital where she went for so much of her treatment, out of sight of the general public."
For Jennie, Kate's difficult 2024 means that she will be able to help others who have been diagnosed with cancer.
"And she is now perfectly placed to help other people living with the trauma of a cancer diagnosis," the expert commented. "I think this will become an important part of her work in the future."
Jennie continued: "A visit from a royal is quite something anyway, but a visit from a royal who can truly share the experience patients are going through is very special. This isn’t someone just seeking to do good work. This is someone who’s been through the same or a similar experience and can speak from the heart."
Peter Burton, who met Kate during her visit to Royal Marsden, wholly agrees with Jennie's assessment. "Speaking to Kate, who herself has been through cancer, was really special — it felt like she could genuinely empathise with me and what I’m going through," Peter told the Mirror.
The patient explained that Kate's interest in him and all the other people she met on the day was completely genuine. "She visited the day unit, which is where people are actually having treatment, so it was business as usual, which made it even more genuine, and made you realise she was there because she genuinely wanted to be there and not just for a photo opportunity," Peter said.
Kate publicly announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer in March of 2024, and shared that she had finished treatment in September.
Last year was particularly difficult for the royals, as both King Charles and Sarah Ferguson were also diagnosed with cancer.
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