Palace aides say trip to meet patients and staff at Royal Marsden is important moment in her ‘personal journey’. The Princess of Wales has visited the hospital where she was treated for cancer to thank staff and meet patients in what palace aides called an important moment in her “personal journey”.
![[The princess hugs a woman who has her eyes shut]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/2cbabcee624636f8107c27107179add772232117/0_63_5061_3036/master/5061.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
During her unannounced visit to the Royal Marsden in London, Catherine shared her shock at her own diagnosis and urged patients to keep positive and do “the things that give you joy”. It had not been previously disclosed which hospital the princess, who underwent chemotherapy last year, was treated at. Arriving at the hospital’s main entrance, she said: “Coming in the front entrance here, having made so many quiet, private visits, actually it’s quite nice.”.
![[Catherine stands in a doorway watched by a crowd of people behind]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/da982ac33ac2e236d77bfcd5944609b23c5fb946/0_287_5379_3227/master/5379.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Sharing details of her own treatment, she told one chemotherapy patient: “It’s really tough. It’s such a shock. Everyone said to me please keep a positive mindset, it makes such a difference.”. She added: “When I came in everyone said make sure you have all your warm things [clothes] on” because of the side-effects of chemotherapy.
Of the importance of looking after yourself during and after treatment, she revealed: “I really felt like I needed to get the sun. You need loads of water and loads of sunlight.”. Catherine said she was doing well but recalled the cycle of treatment, saying: “Sometimes you feel relatively well, and then you have another one. Sometimes from the outside we all think you’ve finished treatment and you go back to things. But it’s hard to get back to normal.”.
