The Princess of Wales made her first official solo appearance in more than a year – and it proved to be an emotional one.
Kate, 43, visited the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, where it emerged she received her chemotherapy treatment following her cancer diagnosis. The princess, who later revealed for the first time that she is in remission, visited the hospital to thank staff for their care and to meet patients currently going through treatment.
As she reassured patients and shared her experiences of her cancer journey with them, it became clear that Kate had opted against wearing her dazzling sapphire engagement ring that once belonged to Princess Diana for the visit.
And it is likely there was a very important reason why she left the jewellery at home – as rings with large stones are believed to be an infection risk. Many healthcare professionals only wear plain band-style rings for this reason – and on previous official visits to hospitals, Kate has not worn her ring.
Instead, Kate was yesterday seen wearing a new eternity ring she was first spotted wearing last summer. It was first glimpsed in a video shared by William and Kate to congratulate Team GB following the Paris Olympics. She was also spotted wearing it in the emotional video where she gave an update on her cancer journey and revealed her chemotherapy treatment was over and during a poignant trip to Southport in October.
At the time, royal fans speculated the new ring was a potential gift from William and wondered if the new jewellery may be the sign of a ‘fresh start’ for the princess, now she has finished her treatment and is designed to mark “the next phase of her life”.
It came after the video in September, where Kate told how “doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus” as she announced the end of her chemotherapy treatment. Sufficient time has passed since the end of her chemotherapy meaning the princess can now describe herself as in ‘remission’.
Yesterday, Kate spoke candidly about her own diagnosis, the ‘shock’ of her “really tough” chemotherapy and the challenges of getting back to normal as she thanked her “amazing” medical teams for her care during her trip to the Marsden on Tuesday.
The princess also hugged Tina Adumou, who broke down in tears as she told Kate that her 19-year-old daughter was in the intensive care unit. Putting an arm around her, Kate looked emotional and told her she was in the best possible place.
The princess said: “I’m sorry. I wish there was more I could do to help. 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 added: “Are you OK? Yes?” then said, smiling: “There is light at the end of that tunnel. Very nice to meet you and best of luck. You are in the best of hands.”
The engagement – the princess’s first for 2025 – was described as an important and “incredibly poignant” moment in Kate’s “personal journey”. It had not been previously disclosed that Kate was treated at the Marsden – a world-leading state-of-the-art cancer centre known for its pioneering research.
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