The Princess of Wales talks with Peter Burton during a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital, London. (Image: PA)
The paid a surprise . She wanted to express her gratitude to staff and meet cancer patients, including 60-year-old Peter Burton, who described her as “extremely personable.”
The royal, who celebrated her 43rd birthday last week, was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer last year and has been receiving treatment at The Royal Marsden Hospital.
Princess Kate announced that she’d finished her treatment in September and.
Mr Burton, who was pictured speaking to Kate during her surprise visit, told the : “I was told we were going to be meeting a VIP and my guess was that it was going to be , but to my surprise, it was Her Royal Highness.
“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.”
Discussing how it felt to meet the royal, he said: “When you see the Royal Family on TV, they are carrying out a role – but Kate was extremely personable, genuinely interested in what I had to say and took time one-on-one with me and every patient.
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Princess Kate pictured at The Royal Marsden Hospital today. (Image: GETTY)
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“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 – who finished his treatment at The Royal Marsden in December – continued: “We spoke about how often people think about cancer patients rather than the family looking after them which can be difficult – it was something she was really able to relate to having felt the same with her husband and children. It was also nice to learn that Kate herself was treated at the Royal Marsden – it means she can really relate to patients like me.”
Today’s visit was Kate’s first solo engagement since announcing her cancer diagnosis in March 2024.
Upon her visit, Kensington Palace revealed the Princess would join William as joint royal patron of the Marsden. This role was previously held by the late Princess Diana., who died aged 36 in 1997.