Kate Middleton had a tough journey through cancer treatment, and it still stands as a very private chapter in her life. However, a close confidante has come forward and shed light on the Duchess’ ordeal, revealing that the Royal Family member had to use a separate entrance for reasons of security and privacy. They speculated that the entire procedure must have been lonesome for her as well.
“Going through the back door unseen while going through the treatment must have been pretty lonely,” a trusted royal insider told PEOPLE.
During a recent visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, the Princess of Wales, 43, shared glimpses of her “quiet” battle.
Unlike many patients who find emotional strength in shared experiences, Kate admitted during her visit, “I had to do it privately and quietly, but being on a ward like this has to be reassuring in a way,” while speaking to Katherine Field, a patient who was in the middle of her fourth chemotherapy session for breast cancer.
For much of 2024, Kate Middleton attended chemotherapy sessions at the Royal Marsden Hospital. Her entrance would be pre-scheduled, and the princess quietly endured the most challenging year of her life.
She was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer, and serious abdominal surgery came after it in January 2024. She and Prince William worked to process the life-altering news while explaining it to their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
It wasn’t until March 2024 that Kate publicly announced her diagnosis and subsequent treatment. By September, she shared the positive news of completing chemotherapy. Her recent visit to the hospital marked her first public return as a woman in remission and as an advocate for those still fighting.
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During her hospital visit, initially scheduled for an hour but extended by 20 minutes, Kate Middleton met with patients and staff. She offered hugs and heartfelt advice. Her compassionate words struck a chord with many, including lung cancer patient Angela Terry, who described Kate’s “gentle eye contact” and “level of connection.”
To another patient, Rebecca Mendlesohn, who is in a trial for metastatic cancer, Kate offered a heartfelt embrace and said, “It will get better. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You’re in the best hands.”
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After leaving the hospital, Kate Middleton released a statement where she expressed gratitude to the Royal Marsden staff. She said, “It has been a tough journey—harder than we perhaps thought. Serious illness like cancer does change you. It makes you rethink everything—your purpose and what you want to do with your life.”
Kate and Prince William’s appointment as joint patrons of the Royal Marsden Hospital on the day of her visit carries forward the legacy of Princess Diana, who served as the center’s president in 1989.
Royal historian Dr. Amanda Foreman observed how Kate’s experience and carefully measured openness have again deepened the public admiration for her.“What the treatment has done is remove a filter and create this immediacy between her and the public,” she said.
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Kate Middleton’s yearlong battle with cancer and ability to endure such a grueling journey privately and return with a renewed sense of purpose has left an indelible impression on those she has touched.
As Dr. Foreman aptly described, “She’s like a gold medal Olympic skater, where they make their moves look so easy, but you forget that it requires incredible skill and self-control and discipline.”