KATE CLIMBED 3,064 METERS IN 24 HOURS FOR CANCER CHARITY
Princess Kate conquered the Three Peaks Challenge, climbing Britain’s highest mountains in 24 hours to support the cancer hospital that treated her.
Reuters reported that Catherine, Princess of Wales, 44, announced on June 28, 2026 that she had completed the National Three Peaks Challenge for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. The charity supports the hospital where she received cancer treatment.
The challenge meant summiting the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales: Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis and Snowdon, also known as Yr Wyddfa.
“Lots of people have asked me why I’m doing this challenge,” she said in a video message posted Sunday. “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 all the incredible work going on up and down this country,” she added.
The climb
ITV News reported that the challenge began on Saturday evening and was finished within 24 hours. Kate did the climbing solo, with Mountain Rescue support along the way.
The route added up to 3,064 meters (10,052 feet) of climbing, CNN reported. ABC News reported that she covered 23 miles on foot.
Kensington Palace said Kate was believed to be the first member of the royal family to complete the challenge, The Independent reported.
She said she wanted the effort to help people “explore life beyond a diagnosis.” In a Kensington Palace statement, she said a cancer diagnosis “changes how you think and feel and profoundly affects every aspect of life.”
Along the route, she said, she met “some incredible people, those people who are living with and beyond cancer.”
“I know personally how difficult that journey is, and I really wanted to use this opportunity as my way of contributing to all the wonderful work that’s going on,” she said.
Waiting at the finish
Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were there to greet her at the end. So were her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and her brother, James.
The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity launched a fundraising page tied to the challenge. The charity said the money would help more people with cancer benefit from holistic care, BBC News reported.
Kate and William are joint patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. Dame Cally Palmer, the trust’s chief executive, said it was “honoured” to have them in the role.
What happened next
One of the people Kate met on the mountains was Ted Haslam, 11, a wheelchair user who took on the challenge with family and friends to raise money for Molly Olly’s Wishes. Ted said Kate stopped to chat with his group for five minutes when they crossed paths on Ben Nevis, Reuters reported.
On September 22, 2026, Kate hosted Ted, his family and other adventurers she met during the challenge for afternoon tea at Windsor Castle. Record-breaker Trish Patterson was among the guests.
