Skip To...
Kate Middleton paid a heartfelt visit to the hospital where she spent months undergoing treatment following her cancer remission, snagging comparisons to Meghan Markle‘s efforts amid the LA wildfires. The year 2024 offered the Princess of Wales one of her biggest challenges yet as she battled an undisclosed form of cancer for months. Helping her through those grueling times were the staff and medical team at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.
Kate Middleton decided to give back to society in her unique way on Tuesday, paying a special visit to the health institution. For the outing, geared towards supporting fellow patients and appreciating staff for their “exceptional care,” the royal opted for a toned-down looked, donning a burgundy sweater and matching Edeline Lee skirt. Kate interacted with patients and staff on this visit, actively engaging them with “compassion.”
Kate Middleton Showed Vulnerability and Compassion During Hospital Visit
The 43-year-old, once a patient at the hospital recounted her experience of having a port inserted into her chest while undergoing chemotherapy. Kate Middleton’s vulnerable admissions and openness while interacting with patients made the hospital visit seem almost “casual” rather than a full-blown “royal tour.” Royal observers believe this approach a stark contrast to estranged royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s visits to the victims of the LA wildfires this month. DailyMail‘s royal editor Rebecca English divulged,
“That was incredibly open but she did it in a way that was almost quite casual. She Wanted to Make it about them, not about her… I think that sets the pattern for the engagements we’re going to see. There may be fewer of them this year, but they’ll be more meaningful to her.”
In her characteristic royal manner, Kate took to social media to share snippets from the hospital visit. In the same post, Kate Middleton also officially announced she was now in remission, after previously announcing the completion of her chemotherapy treatment.
Charlotte Griffins praised this approach on the DailyMail’s YouTube show Palace Confidential, describing it as a”masterclass” on how to be a royal. According to Charlotte, such an approach to royal engagements post-remission proved Kate Midleton an indispensable royal family member. She divulged,
“She learned while the late Queen was still alive, so she learnt from the master. She was so good at absorbing the odd compliment, but not making it all about herself, not being a victim, and deflecting the question back because she was genuinely interested to hear about the cancer patients and what they were going through.”
Meghan Markle’s LA Wildfire Crisis Response Compared to Kate’s Royal Visit
Creating a parallel to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s list of philanthropic endeavors amid the LA wildfires, the royal experts noted that the Sussexes’s effort was merely a “royal disasterclass.” DailyMail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden spotlighted the “double standards” in Meghan’s volunteering efforts. He especially taunted the duchess’ decision to cancel her long-anticipated Netflix cooking show “without thinking twice,” while firmly refusing to halt her Oprah Winfrey interview when her grandfather-in-law Prince Philip fell seriously ill years back.
He also recounted Harry and Meghan “going ahead with their Netflix series” and Harry’s memoir Spare, amid the late Queen’s failing health, and eventual death barely months later. Given their less-than-compassionate approach to familial matters, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s efforts amid the LA wildfires can’t but evoke suspicions. Richard quipped,
“People Have been quite cynical about the sudden compassion.”
Charlotte agreed with his insinuation, suggesting that the Sussexes’ motive could very well align with attention-seeking. She divulged,
“Their power is drawing attention to issues and there could not be more attention, rightly, on this LA wildfire, so it’s not like we needed them to draw attention to a subtle issue to do with health and mental health, So it felt like they were drawing attention, I’m afraid, to themselves, There’s one picture of Meghan looking right at the camera.”
Further bolstering this point, the panelists agreed that Harry and Meghan could have helped anonymously, rather than doing an all-out faux royal tour of the LA wildfires. While Kate Middleton’s hospital visit may have cast the spotlights on Meghan Markle’s volunteering efforts in the wildfire crisis, the duchess and her husband have long faced backlash for their decision to publicly help the victims. Their post-disaster visit saw them meet with the state governor, some first responders, and victims, posing for photos in their wake. The publicity leaves many questioning the true driving force behind the couple’s latest endeavors.
