It was a raw moment in a hospital corridor. Catherine, Princess of Wales, hugged a mother finishing breast cancer treatment and told her family she understood what they had been through.
Princess Kate visited The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester on Thursday, June 4, where she learned about holistic care options for cancer patients.
During the visit, she met 30-year-old Claire Lorente, who was marking the last day of her treatment for breast cancer.
After being introduced, Kate hugged Claire and told her, “Well done, you!”
As they spoke, Kate asked how long Claire had been in treatment and called it an “amazing day” after a “tough” journey.
Claire said she had been doing treatment for nearly six months and had surgery coming up.
Kate also spoke to Claire’s partner, saying, “I know it’s just as hard for families and loved ones.”
She added, “I know how hard it was for the children and my parents. You go through it with them.”
Kate also greeted Claire’s baby and said, “Isn’t Mummy brave?”
She then stepped back and told Claire, “This is your day.”
Kate smiled and clapped as Claire rang the bell to mark the end of her treatment.
The Princess of Wales publicly announced her cancer diagnosis in 2024. She completed treatment and announced she was in remission in early 2025.
The visit to Christie’s was a solo engagement for Kate. She was there to learn how the centre offers holistic therapies free of charge and provides support for symptoms common with cancer diagnoses and treatment, including stress, depression, fear, worry and anxiety-induced nausea.
It was Kate’s second cancer-related outing of the week.
On June 2, she joined King Charles and other members of the royal family at a reception marking the 125th anniversary of Cancer Research U.K.
That event was the first joint engagement for Kate and the King supporting a cancer-related cause since their diagnoses were disclosed in 2024.
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