The Princess of Wales, Kate, made her first official solo appearance in over a year at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, where she had previously received chemotherapy treatment following her cancer diagnosis. The visit proved to be an emotional one as the 43 year old princess, who recently revealed that she is now in remission, thanked the hospital staff for their care and met with patients currently undergoing treatment.
During her visit, it was noted that Kate chose not to wear her stunning sapphire engagement ring, which once belonged to Princess Diana. This decision likely stems from the fact that rings with large stones are considered a potential infection risk, leading many healthcare professionals to opt for plain band-style rings instead.
On previous official hospital visits, Kate has also chosen not to wear her ring. Instead, the princess was seen wearing a new eternity ring, first spotted on her finger last summer. This ring was initially seen in a video shared by William and Kate to congratulate Team GB after the Paris Olympics.
It was also visible in the heartfelt video where she updated the public on her cancer journey, announcing the end of her chemotherapy treatment, and during a moving trip to Southport in October, reports the Mirror. At the time, Royal enthusiasts speculated whether the new ring was a gift from Prince William, pondering if it symbolised a ‘fresh start’ for the Princess post-treatment, to celebrate the ‘next phase of her life’.
The revelation came after a video posted in September where Kate shared that her priority is to “do what I can to stay cancer-free” following the conclusion of her chemotherapy. Now, with sufficient time having passed since her treatment, she is able to refer to herself as being ‘in remission’.
Yesterday, the candid Princess discussed her own battle with the disease, describing her shock at the diagnosis and the arduous nature of her “really tough” chemotherapy. She highlighted the difficulty of returning to everyday life while expressing gratitude to her “amazing” medical team during her visit to the Marsden on Tuesday.
In an emotional encounter, Kate comforted Tina Adumou who tearfully opened up about her 19 year old daughter’s critical condition in intensive care. Offering a consoling arm, Kate displayed empathy, assuring her she was receiving top-notch care.
Offering words of solace, the Princess remarked: “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.”
With a smile and inquiries of reassurance, Kate added: “Are you OK? Yes? ” and offered encouragement stating: “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, which is the princess’s first for 2025, has been described as a significant and “incredibly poignant” moment in Kate’s “personal journey”. It was not previously revealed that Kate received treatment at the Marsden a globally renowned state-of-the-art cancer centre known for its groundbreaking research.