Catherine joins William in surprise visit to London hospital
The Princess of Wales has praised the “amazing work” of the NHS as she made a surprise appearance joining the Prince of Wales on a visit to a London hospital the day before her birthday.
Catherine accompanied her husband, who will initially attend alone, at Charing Cross Hospital on Thursday for the first public appearance of 2026.
Kensington Palace said the princess, who turned 44 on Friday, “wants to join her husband in showing his support for the NHS and thanking the teams at Charing Cross for their efforts.”
We’re just days away from the one-year anniversary of the princess announcing she will be cancer-free at the beginning of 2025.
PA MediaIn a chat with volunteers from Imperial Health Charity, Catherine described how their work sometimes goes “unrecognised”.
He said: “Sometimes the skills, the social skills, the empathy and compassion, kindness go beyond any job description.
“And it makes a huge difference for patients, and it often goes unnoticed.”
Volunteer Maureen Gilmour, who works with people undergoing chemotherapy, spoke to the royal couple about her role.
Referring to patients and visitors, he told the couple: “People will be sitting there for hours.”
In response, the princess said “I know” before tapping William on the shoulder and saying “you know.”
PA MediaWilliam and Catherine are joint patrons of NHS Charities Together and the Palace said the engagement took place to “recognise the incredible work of NHS staff during a challenging winter period”.
The couple surprised healthcare workers during the tea break and explained the pressures they faced during the winter virus season.
Staff gathered in a break room paid for by Imperial Health Charity, which is a member of umbrella organization NHS Charities Together and supports all five hospitals of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust through donations, artwork and volunteering.
William and Catherine attended a roundtable with NHS charity chief executives, trustees, policymakers and philanthropists to discuss the role of charity in the NHS.
The couple became patrons of NHS Charities Together at the height of the Covid outbreak in 2020.
The organization represents more than 220 NHS charities from all NHS Trusts and Health Boards in the UK.
