The Princess of Wales has gone through a lot in recent years and after recovering from cancer she chose to set herself a huge personal challenge to “give something back”. Last month Kate completed the National Three Peaks Challenge, climbing the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales in a 24-hour period.
This isn’t for the faint-hearted and when she attended Wimbledon a few days later, the Princess confessed what really got her through it. In a Royal Special of their Overheard at Wimbledon series, the club posted a conversation between Kate and retired British tennis star Tim Henman.
“Everyone’s been so generous,” she told him. “That’s what keeps you going; it’s when you know you’re doing it for a good cause – it keeps you going through the harder times.”
There will have been plenty of tough moments throughout the hikes and the car journeys between countries. Knowing that her efforts would be making a real difference was a big comfort to the Princess, who was “blown away” by the amount of money donated to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
She became their Patron in 2025 and received her own cancer treatment at The Royal Marsden Hospital. It makes sense that it would’ve been easier to get through the “harder times” when she remembered the human aspect – the people backing her, the people who helped her and the people the donations would go on to support too.
Alongside the physical and mental aspects of the Three Peaks Challenge, Kate also had to battle some horrendous weather. The UK has basked in intense sunshine for weeks but the conditions that high up were very different.
The future Queen was heard describing the “atrocious” rain and said that all the people climbing at the time got “soaked through”. Despite this, they all rallied and drew on the British spirit. She explained, “It was a very sort of stoically British thing to do. You know, you’re soaking wet, and everyone’s going, ‘Come on, we can do it.'”
It was important for Kate to try to “enjoy the process”, from the training to “making time during the walk to meet people and enjoy the journey”. It wasn’t just about “quickly getting to the top”.
When she completed the challenge the Princess was given a hero’s welcome at the bottom of Mount Snowdon by Prince William, George, Charlotte, Louis, her brother James and parents Carole and Michael.
Although it was the “good cause” that kept her going during the challenge, it was the support and love of her family that got her through her treatment.
Prince William was given a special shout-out by his wife in the video where she first made her diagnosis public. Kate declared, “Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance.”
Meanwhile, a friend claimed in Russell Myers’ book, William & Catherine, that, “[K]eeping the children entertained and occupied, being constantly sanguine even when he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, allowing her to concentrate on her treatment and recovery, is something she will be eternally grateful for.”
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