“It’s really hard,” Catherine said of chemotherapy. “It’s such a shock.”
A palace official said the purpose of Catherine’s visit to the Royal Marsden was not only to thank the staff for their care, but also to highlight the “world-leading care and treatment Marsden provides”.
Prince William is already the royal patron of the hospital, which was opened in 1851 and is the first hospital in the world dedicated exclusively to the diagnosis, research and treatment of cancer. Catherine is now designated as joint patron, alongside her husband.
Charles announced in February that he too had been diagnosed with cancer. Buckingham Palace has revealed little about his treatment or the status of his illness, although he has returned to a busy schedule of official duties.
On Monday, the palace announced that Charles will travel to Poland later this month to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi concentration camp. Last year, the king traveled to Australia and Samoa, where he attended a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government.
Catherine approached her illness in a more personal way than her father-in-law, albeit with an equally strict control over the level of disclosure. She announced the end of her chemotherapy in an emotional video featuring William and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you,” Catherine said in the video. “As well as being humble, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you’ve never considered before, and with it a new perspective on everything.”
