This time last year, the Princess of Wales announced her cancer was in remission during an engagement at the London hospital where she received her treatment
07:00, 01 Feb 2026Updated 09:07, 01 Feb 2026
The Princess of Wales at the Royal Marsden hospital(Image: Getty Images)
Princess Kate has shown off her ‘unique royal superpower’ during an emotional visit to the London hospital where she received her cancer treatment. In January 2025, the Princess of Wales visited the Royal Marsden hospital where she met with staff and patients, and revealed that her cancer was finally in remission.
During the visit, Kate was seen hugging other patients sharing her plight, which, according to body language expert Judi James, showcased her “acute empathy” as she made an effort to foster moments of “authentic connection”. Judi explained how Kate’s own cancer journey will have “added an extra layer” in her ability to both “listen and understand”.
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Kate with Katherine Field at the Royal Marsden back in January 2025(Image: PA)
Judi James told the Daily Mail : “We’re used to seeing royals hugging strangers when they are out on visits, but most of these hug rituals tend to either be ‘parental’, cursory, or even ‘beatific’ in style, tone, and execution.
“Kate shows a capacity for going emotionally deeper, and the non-verbal cues here suggest that when she leans to hug a woman, the need for contact and empathy is almost mutual in that moment.
“Her empathy is prompted by personal and shared experience rather than the imagined variety, where someone will try to put themselves into someone else’s shoes while they’re communicating with them,” Judi said.
The Princess of Wales hugs Rebecca Mendelhson during a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, where she received her cancer treatment, to personally thank staff for her care(Image: PA Chris Jackson/PA Wire)
During the visit to the London hospital last year, Kate met four cancer patients and shared stories with them. She joked that it was a novelty for her to enter through the front door, having made “so many quiet visits”, adding that it was “quite nice” to see the proper reception. “It’s really tough,” she empathised with one patient who was having chemotherapy. “It’s such a shock”.
“Everyone said to me please keep a positive mindset, it makes such a difference,” she said, adding that “When I came in everyone said make sure you have all your warm things [clothes] on” because of the side effects. The princess asked patient’s details of their treatment, trials, wellbeing, and asked after their families.
“Oh my goodness,” she exclaimed on occasion, hearing difficult accounts of long treatment, and shook her head sympathetically. Of the importance of looking after oneself during and after treatment, she said: “I really felt like I needed to get the sun. You need loads of water and loads of sunlight.”
Kate shared her own cancer story with patients (Image: PA)
Kate announced she was in remission during the visit(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
The Princess also spoke to doctors and nurses involved in care and research, as well as pilot projects at the Marsden to improve holistic care. Speaking of receiving a diagnosis, she said: “It’s the uncertainty of that initial diagnosis. It’s such a wealth of information. Understanding the diagnosis, it’s a massive amount of information to take on as a patient. Having that continuity, in the clinical setting and outside in the home setting, is so important.”
Of the wider impact of treatment on patients, the Princess added: “You think the treatment has finished and you can crack on and get back to normal, but that’s still a real challenge. The words totally disappear. And understanding that as a patient, yes there are side effects around treatment but actually there are more long term side effects.”
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