The Princess of Wales has proven her moxie once again. Completing the National Three Peaks Challenge over the past weekend – one of the toughest hiking challenges in the UK – Kate becomes the first Royal to complete the hike which climbs the highest mountains in Scotland (Ben Nevis), England (Scafell Pike) and Wales (Snowdon) within 24 hours. On average, only 40 per cent of participants finish the challenge within the 24-hour range; Kate joins this club.
Now 18 months in remission after announcing her diagnosis in March 2024, Kate embarked on the Three Peaks “not simply as a physical endeavour, but as a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back”. Namely, to raise awareness for the wider impact serious illness can have on every aspect of a person’s life, and in support of a charity close to her heart, The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which works to improve access to holistic cancer care.
Upon completion of the challenge, the Princess posted a joyous picture of herself – clad in a cap, raincoat, rucksack and hiking poles – with the Ben Nevis summit marker, along with a statement: “Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in this country hear the words no one wants to hear. What follows is a path that tests every part of who we are: physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. The challenges ripple outwards, touching families, friendships, work and the quiet moments we spend alone with our thoughts.
“Cancer doesn’t just affect the body. It changes how you think and feel and profoundly affects every aspect of life. I know this personally, and that the journey through and beyond treatment requires more than medicine alone. […] The Royal Marsden is a place that holds great meaning for me and whose care and expertise are life changing for so many people.”
