Ted’s team completed the challenge in 30 hours, as they raised money for Molly Ollys, a Warwick-based charity supporting children with life-threatening illnesses. Ted, whose father is a mountaineer, was left paralysed aged three and diagnosed with an aggressive spinal tumour which had been doubling every 24 hours. During Kate’s challenge, she also spoke with a hiker who told the princess that she was ‘so inspiring’ and congratulated him on making it to the top of Ben Nevis.
Jacky Leung explained how he at first saw two camera operators walking uphill, and one of them set up a camera to photograph a ‘very lean female hiker’. He soon realised the woman was the future Queen, describing himself as ‘speechless’ and saying he ‘could not respond with any proper names to greet her’. Mr Leung added that he felt ‘so confused and so psyched at that split-second’, but Kate then began speaking to him and they had a brief conversation.
Kate said: ‘Hi, are you alright?’ Mr Leung replied: ‘I am good, just to wait for my friends.’ The princess then asked him: ‘Did you make it to the top?’ Mr Leung said: ‘Yeah, we were lucky to get it to the top.’ Kate told him: ‘Well done!’ He responded: ‘Thank you! You’re so inspiring!’ And Kate said: ‘Thank you!’ He said the princess then ‘power-walked up with very strong spirit’, adding that ‘not many people recognised Her Royal Highness as she made her way up to the top’.
Mr Leung said his friends ‘did not notice her passing by at all’, adding that completing the challenge is a ‘serious test of grit’ and Kate ‘showed immense strength and spirit’. He said it was an ‘epic day’ on Ben Nevis when ‘all coincidences happened’, adding: ‘Deepest respect to Her Royal Highness for such an incredible feat of endurance!’
Kate took on the gruelling ‘personal’ expedition this weekend to raise money for a cancer charity and ‘explore life beyond diagnosis’. She carried out the challenge solo, supported en route by Mountain Rescue, and was greeted at the end by her husband the Prince of Wales, her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, her parents Carole and Michael Middleton and brother James Middleton. Hiker Jacky Leung said he spotted the Princess of Wales walking up Ben Nevis at the weekend. Kate on Ben Nevis as she completed the Three Peaks Challenge and spoke to Mr Leung.
Jacky Leung said he told Kate that she was ‘so inspiring’ during the surprise encounter. Kensington Palace said they believed the expedition was a royal first, with the princess being the first member of the Royal Family to complete the Three Peaks. The Royal Family celebrated the undertaking, with the monarchy’s official social media account posting: ‘Congratulations to The Princess of Wales.’
Kate revealed she had taken on the trek, not only as a physical endeavour but ‘to give something back’ and raise awareness of the wider impact of serious illness. In a video released last night, the princess said she had met some ‘incredible people’ living with and beyond cancer, adding: ‘I know personally how difficult that journey is.’ The princess, who was recorded speaking before she started the walk, said: ‘Lots of people have asked me why I’m doing this challenge, and partly, it’s personal. ‘I’m so grateful to be here, to be strong enough to walk these hills.
But, more importantly, it’s to give something back and acknowledge, really, all the incredible work going on up and down this country.’ Kate also released a written message on social media in which she revealed she had successfully completed the trek. She was pictured smiling broadly at the misty summit of Ben Nevis on Saturday evening dressed in a cagoule, with a cap on and her hood up, and trekking poles on her back. The princess could be seen wearing her sapphire and diamond engagement ring, which belonged to William’s late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
The princess wrote: ‘I have taken on the National Three Peaks Challenge, not simply as a physical endeavour but as a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back. ‘The Royal Marsden is a place that holds great meaning for me and whose care and expertise are life changing for so many people. ‘Through this challenge, I want to raise awareness for the deeper impact of serious illness and the importance of holistic healthcare.’ Kate took on the gruelling ‘personal’ expedition to raise money for a cancer charity.
The princess said she had met some ‘incredible people’ living with and beyond cancer. Sharing her own experience of cancer, she spoke of how she personally understood that the illness can affect every aspect of someone’s life. The princess added: ‘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.’ Kate trekked for 23 miles, with a total ascent of more than 10,000 feet, and a driving distance of 462 miles between locations. She was previously treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, west London, and The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity has launched a specially designed fundraising page for people across the nation to donate. Money raised will be used to help more people with cancer to benefit from holistic care.
The princess, who has long campaigned over the importance of spending time outdoors, wrote: ‘In the end, bravery isn’t just about pushing forward. ‘It is about knowing how to stay grounded, connected and present, no matter the terrain, or landscape you are walking through. ‘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.’ Kate, who signed her personal message with a ‘C’, also wrote of the benefit of holistic therapies.
Money raised will also support research into how holistic care can best work alongside clinical cancer treatments to help patients, with the goal of creating a blueprint for change, so the supportive care becomes a standard part of cancer treatment nationally. The fundraising link is available here. Kate was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer early in 2024, for which she underwent chemotherapy, and she announced she was in remission 17 months ago in January 2025.
The physical challenge marks the latest milestone for the princess, who has gradually returned to royal duties, and last month restarted her international travel with a working trip to Italy. Dame Cally Palmer, chief executive of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘The princess’s commitment to The Royal Marsden stems from a deep empathy for those facing similar challenges, and we are immensely grateful for this generous support that will make a difference to the lives of so many cancer patients and their families.’
Kate’s completion of the National Three Peaks Challenge this weekend has not only marked a powerful personal triumph but also delivered a fresh wave of public support for cancer charities and the work of holistic healthcare. By tackling the demanding route – 23 miles of strenuous walking with more than 10,000 feet of ascent – the Princess of Wales turned a gruelling physical test into a deeply meaningful statement about resilience, awareness and the need for greater compassion in the treatment of serious illness.
The event was not simply about reaching the summit; it was about honouring the stories of thousands who hear the words “you have cancer” every single day and then walk an entirely different path, one that touches every corner of their lives. Her remarks in the pre-walk video and on social media resonated deeply because they came from someone who has lived that exact journey. Diagnosed early in 2024, Kate underwent chemotherapy and was declared in remission just 17 months later.
That rapid return to health did not erase the scars; it only sharpened her understanding of how cancer quietly rewires every part of existence – the body, the mind, the relationships, the sense of self. She made clear that the challenge was “personal” in the truest sense: to prove to herself that she was strong enough to climb, but even more importantly, to remind the world that healing is far more than a clinical timeline.
The choice of the Three Peaks – Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon – could not have been more fitting. These iconic mountains represent Britain’s highest points, and climbing them alone, supported only by Mountain Rescue at various points, mirrored the solitary nature of a cancer diagnosis. Yet Kate turned that solitude into connection. Her pre-recorded speech before setting out already carried the quiet gravity of someone who had sat with the words no one wants to hear and then chosen to keep moving forward.
“Lots of people have asked me why I’m doing this challenge, and partly it’s personal,” she said. The “partly” was honest; the rest was generous. She wanted the public to understand that every year hundreds of thousands of families face the same words, and the path that follows does not stop at the hospital. It spills into friendships, workplaces, quiet evenings alone with thoughts, and the unbreakable bonds of family. She wanted them to know that cancer does not discriminate by age or stage; it simply arrives and changes the rules.
By sharing that, Kate gave voice to millions who may never meet her but will feel seen for the first time in years.
The encounter with hiker Jacky Leung on the slopes of Ben Nevis added an unexpected layer of human warmth to the moment. Leung, who had been filming camera operators, noticed the future Queen walking uphill in the distance. One of the operators had even paused to photograph a “very lean female hiker,” completely unaware of her identity. Leung described the split-second realisation as both confusing and exhilarating – “speechless,” he said, unable to respond with any proper name. Yet when Kate approached and asked if he was all right, his friends for a moment forgot to keep climbing.
She chatted with him briefly, congratulated him on reaching the top, and told him he was “so inspiring.” Leung later recalled that she power-walked up with “very strong spirit,” and that “not many people recognised Her Royal Highness as she made her way up to the top.” The simplicity of those exchanges – a greeting, a well-done, a thank you – showed a side of the Princess of Wales that goes beyond protocol. In an age of carefully managed public appearances, here was someone who could stop mid-stride, engage a complete stranger, and leave him feeling seen rather than starstruck.
It was the same spirit that later saw her greet her husband, three children, parents and brother at the finish line of the challenge. The family’s presence at the misty summit of Ben Nevis on Saturday evening, captured smiling broadly in a cagoule, cap and hood up, trekking poles on her back, created a moment of ordinary joy against the backdrop of extraordinary endeavour. The sapphire and diamond engagement ring that once belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales, caught the light as she raised her hands to celebrate, reminding everyone of the continuity between past and present.
Kensington Palace described the expedition as a royal first – the first member of the Royal Family to complete the Three Peaks Challenge. The statement was understated but powerful. It signalled that the personal had become national. The charity behind the trek, The Royal Marsden, was not chosen at random. The Princess of Wales had been treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea years earlier, and the institution holds a special place in her story.
Dame Cally Palmer, chief executive of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, spoke of “deep empathy” and “immense gratitude.” Those words are not empty; they reflect the lived reality that many patients and families carry every day. The charity has launched a dedicated fundraising page, and donations will support both immediate holistic care and longer-term research into how complementary therapies can work alongside clinical treatment. The goal is clear: to create a blueprint where supportive care is no longer an optional extra but a standard part of cancer treatment across the country.
Money raised will also benefit the Molly Ollys charity in Warwick, which helps children with life-threatening illnesses. Ted’s team’s 30-hour completion of a parallel challenge showed that the drive to support those facing impossible odds is alive and well. Parents like Ted’s father, a mountaineer whose son was paralysed at three, understand in their bones what it means to face a diagnosis that doubles every 24 hours. The connection between these stories is simple: when one person climbs a mountain, they lift many others with them.
Kate’s message on social media captured the essence of what the challenge meant to her. She wrote that bravery is not only about pushing forward but about knowing how to stay grounded, connected and present, no matter the terrain. That line resonated because it turned the physical feat into a metaphor for life itself. Cancer changes how you think and feel; it touches every relationship, every responsibility, every quiet moment. She reminded everyone that the disease does not end when treatment does. It lingers in the background, waiting for the right moment to remind you that you are not alone.
The call to action was direct: “Please know you are not alone.” She signed the post with “C,” a small, personal touch that humanised the message for millions scrolling past. The image of her at the summit – hood up, smiling, sapphire ring glinting – became the visual heartbeat of the entire weekend. It showed a woman who had walked through hell and come out the other side not bitter but determined to help others walk through theirs.
The broader context matters. Kate has been slowly returning to public life, restarting international duties with a working visit to Italy just last month. This weekend’s achievement fits that pattern of quiet resurgence. It is also a reminder that the Princess of Wales is not merely a royal figure but a living example of someone who refused to let a diagnosis define her future. By choosing to explore life beyond diagnosis, she turned personal recovery into public service.
The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, the Three Peaks route, the heartfelt words to strangers on the slopes of Ben Nevis – all of these elements converged into a single weekend of courage that will be remembered for years. The mountain may still stand tall and cold, but the trail she left behind is one of light, awareness and hope.
In the misty summit of Ben Nevis on Saturday evening, with her family waiting below, the Princess of Wales did not simply conquer a physical challenge.She reminded the nation – and the world – that even when the odds feel impossible, the human spirit can still find a way to climb, to inspire, and to give something back.
