The Princess of Wales scaled the summit of Snowdon late on Sunday to finish the gruelling Three Peaks Challenge – an endurance feat of 23 miles and 3,064 metres of ascent – and was met by a waiting line of her family: Prince William, their three children George, Charlotte and Louis, her parents Carole and Michael Middleton, and her brother James. She had started on Saturday evening, climbing alone but supported by Mountain Rescue, and completed all three peaks within 24 hours: Ben Nevis in Scotland (1,345m), Scafell Pike in England (978m), and Snowdon, or Yr Wyddfa, in Wales (1,085m).
The challenge was not simply a physical test. Catherine, 44, who was diagnosed with cancer in March 2024 and completed chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden in Chelsea that September, said she wanted to use the event to raise awareness of holistic healthcare for cancer patients and to raise funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. In a social media post, she wrote: “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.”
“Princess of Wales completes Three Peaks Challenge in 24 hours to raise funds for cancer holistic care at Royal Marsden.”
She described the challenge as “a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back”. In a separate statement, she added: “Together, we can stand alongside everyone navigating life with cancer, ensuring no one faces this disease feeling unseen or unsupported. Please know you are not alone.”
The princess, who announced she was in remission in early 2025 and has since returned to royal duties, said she wanted to highlight that “cancer doesn’t just affect the body – it changes how you think and feel and profoundly affects every aspect of life”. The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity launched a fundraising page for her walk, which it said would “support more people with cancer to benefit from holistic care”. Dame Cally Palmer, chief executive of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said they were “honoured” to have the Prince and Princess of Wales as joint patrons.
The princess’s message ended with a powerful note to others living with the disease: “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.”