heĀ Princess of WalesĀ made an unannounced and personal visit on Saturday evening as she stepped out in support of the Ever After Garden, which is run by the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
The garden, which is open between 13 November and 16 December, encourages people to donate and dedicate a rose to a loved one. Kate dedicated her own rose and spoke to volunteers who help to keep the garden running.
The message on her rose read: “In loving memory of all those who have lost their lives to cancer.”
In a personal message after her visit, the royal mum-of-three said: “Thank you to all those who have contributed to the Ever After Garden, which raises vital funds for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Every flower, every light, is a memory held together, an illumination of shared love, remembrance, and hope.” She signed off the message with the letter ‘C’.
Ā© Kensington Palace
The royal left a touching message
The initiative was first launched in 2019, and has since raised Ā£1.6 million. This year, the donations to the charity number Ā£400,000. 400 volunteers work to keep the installation running during the month.
Kate’s cancer journey
Kate confirmed that she had beenĀ diagnosed with cancerĀ in a video released on 22 March 2024 after spending several months out of the public eye. The royal underwent a very restricted schedule as she underwent preventive chemotherapy for the condition.
The royal madeĀ appearances at WimbledonĀ andĀ Trooping the Colour, before releasing a second video on 9 September 2024 announcing that she hadĀ completed chemotherapy. On 14 January, the royal announced that she was inĀ remission during a visit to the Royal Marsden, where she was treated.
Ā© Kensington Palace
The royal met and spoke with volunteers
A Kensington Palace spokesman said at the time: “The Princess wanted to make the journey to both show her gratitude to the incredible team, but also highlight the world leading care and treatment the Marsden provides.”
Kate hasn’t shared many updates about living with the condition, but in October 2025, her husband, theĀ Prince of WalesĀ spoke to actor Eugene Levy about how he handled his wife beingĀ diagnosed with the illness.
Ā© Kensington Palace
The royal was treated for cancer at the Royal Marsden Hospital
Appearing onĀ The Reluctant Traveller, William said: “I’d say 2024 was the hardest year that I’ve ever had. Trying to sort of balance protecting the children, Catherine, my father needs a bit of protection, but he’s you know, he’s old enough to do that himself as well.
“But it’s important my family feel protected and have the space to process a lot of the stuff that’s gone on last year, and that was tricky trying to do that and keep doing the job.”
Speaking about how the diagnosis affected the couple’s children, he added: “We try to make sure we give them the security and the safety that they need, and we’re a very open family, so we talk about things that bother us, and things that trouble us, but you never quite know the knock-on effects that it can have. And so, it’s just important to be there for each other and to kind of reassure the children that everything is okay.”
