King Charles has visited the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Cancer Center at York Hospital, which has been newly redeveloped. The visit came during his own ongoing cancer treatment. During his time there, the King spent time speaking with medical staff and meeting patients receiving care.
In a rare moment that caught attention, he was seen having a personal interaction with a woman at the hospital. Video showed Charles hugging her, followed by a brief conversation and a kiss on each cheek.
Such physical gestures are not commonly seen from members of the royal family. Traditionally, royals maintain distance when meeting common citizens, such as handshakes or greetings.
According to Express News, the woman King Charles met was not an ordinary member of the public. She was his close friend, Lady Halifax, who, along with her husband Lord Halifax, has donated to the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Cancer Centre at York Hospital. Lady Halifax also introduced the King to another woman named Angie Lunt, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016.
A warm welcome for the King as he visits the site of the newly redeveloped Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Cancer Centre, York, in his role as Patron of @macmillancancer where he is meeting staff and patients who have worked on the project which includes a new garden. pic.twitter.com/meBNLHv8nu
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) May 26, 2026
In 2022, Prince William was seen in a similar moment while attending the UEFA Women’s EURO tournament. During the time, a former royal butler, Grant Harrold, explained that, in the past, royal family members were expected to keep physical distance from the public. People were only allowed to look at royals and if a royal offered a handshake, it should be accepted, but closer contact like hugging was not common.
This rule existed to maintain a formal image of the family and also for security reasons. However, Harrold said that younger royals like Prince William have moved away from these old traditions. Unlike earlier generations, they have grown up in a different environment and are more comfortable showing kindness in public.
The butler also added that Princess Diana’s friendly nature influenced this approach, as she often hugged people during events. Because of this, William does not find physical gestures like hugs unusual.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.ndtv.com ’
