“It’s really tough,” 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 just to thank the staff for their care, but also to highlight the “world leading care and treatment the Marsden provides.”
Prince William is already a royal patron of the hospital, which opened in 1851 and is the world’s first hospital dedicated exclusively to cancer diagnosis, research and treatment. Catherine has now been designated as a joint patron, alongside her husband.
Charles announced in February that he, too, had been diagnosed with cancer. Buckingham Palace has disclosed little about his treatment or the status of his illness, though 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 heads of government of the Commonwealth.
Catherine has approached her illness in more personal terms than her father-in-law, although with a similarly tight control over the level of disclosure. She announced the conclusion of her chemotherapy in an emotional video that featured 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. “With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything.”
