Princess Kate attends a reception for Cancer Research UK (Image: Getty)
The Princess of Wales joined the King and Queen to celebrate 125 years of Cancer Research UK last night. Catherine, whose attendance at the event was announced by Kensington Palace only hours earlier, joined the royal couple to celebrate the charity’s invaluable work in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
High-profile supporters of the charity, including Davina McCall, Hannah Fry, Adele Roberts and Roman and Storm Keating, attended and chatted to the royal trio. After shaking hands, Ms McCall told Catherine it was an “absolute honour” to meet her.
The pair then discussed Ms McCall’s cancer journey, as the TV presenter told the princess it had been “liberating” to talk about her own experience with cancer publicly.
Princess Kate chatted to Davina McCall at the cancer reception (Image: Getty)
Speaking afterwards, the TV presenter said her exchange with the Princess of Wales at the Cancer Research UK reception was “really wonderful”.
Ms McCall told the Press Association: “It was a really wonderful exchange, and they (the King, Queen and princess) are all wonderful. I can’t imagine what it must be like having going through something like cancer, and then sort of having to tell people about it, when possibly it would have been much easier and nicer to not have to share it with the world.
“And I’ve got to say, after my brain tumour, I didn’t massively want to have to do that myself.”
She later added: “But it really helped me get through it by sharing it, and other people relating, or feeling like I could help.”
Ms McCall underwent surgery in 2024 to remove a benign brain tumour. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in October last year and had surgery to remove a lump but said in April that she had now received the “all clear”.
The King and Queen also attended tonight’s reception (Image: Getty)
The princess, who wore a red polka dot midi dress by Rodarte with a detachable flower charm, also spoke to the widower of ‘bowel babe’ Dame Deborah James, who was honoured by the Prince of Wales for her incredible fundraising and campaigning in the face of incurable bowel cancer.
Dame Deborah received the honour from the future king in May 2022 in a special ceremony at her parents’ home just weeks before her death.
Her husband, Sebastian Bowen, told the Princess, “I’ve been thinking about you guys a lot.”
Catherine praised Deborah for the “impact of her work” and listened as Mr Bowen told her how it had been “bittersweet” to smash fundraising targets for research and clinical trials into the disease that his wife had dreamed of achieving.
He also appeared to thank William for a sympathetic conversation he apparently had with the couple’s two children.
The princess replied: “He’s good like that.”
Princess Kate is wearing a red polka dot dress with a detachable flower charm (Image: Getty)
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The princess has a personal interest in the charity, having been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer at the start of 2024 and undertaking six months of chemotherapy.
Now in remission, she has resumed a normal schedule of royal duties and last month returned to international travel by carrying out a solo visit to Italy as part of her early years work.
The King, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer, having been diagnosed with the disease just weeks before the princess, hosted the event at St James’s Palace on Tuesday evening in honour of Cancer Research UK, of which he is patron.
He continues to maintain a busy schedule, having recently undertaken a high-stakes trip to the US, as he thrives off his work.
The event marked the organisation’s 125th anniversary year and the royal trio met researchers, clinicians, volunteers and partners involved in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer during the evening reception.
They were also shown immersive installations showcasing the charity’s work and visual representations of how technological innovation is transforming research into the disease.
Charles, Camilla and Catherine were also joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, with the duke being a joint president of the charity.