The Princess of Wales, Catherine, completed the National Three Peaks Challenge over the weekend of June 27 to 28, 2026, climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon within 24 hours in support of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. On Sunday, July 5, Kensington Palace released photographs showing Kate Middleton being embraced at the base of Snowdon by the Prince of Wales, their three children, and her parents and brother. The release came exactly a week after the climb. Beneath the family images is what the climb is funding: a Royal Marsden plan for a new centre for holistic cancer care.
The climb is believed to be a royal first, per Kensington Palace. Kate did the challenge solo, with Mountain Rescue England and Wales supporting the route. Her brother James Middleton climbed all three peaks alongside her and confirmed it in his own Sunday Instagram post. Kate’s letter to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity frames the feat in personal terms, as “a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back.” The consequential story beneath the family photos is the fundraising build the climb is now powering.
A Family Greeting at the Foot of Snowdon
Kate’s July 5 Instagram post carried a carousel of photographs taken at the foot of Snowdon. “This time last week, completing the National Three Peaks Challenge,” she wrote. “A huge thank you to everybody who has supported The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.”
The first frame shows Kate in athletic wear hugging William. A follow-up image shows her posing with their three children, with Prince George just about towering over his mother. Another captures Kate with her arms around Princess Charlotte, with Prince Louis playing with a dog in the background. A final photograph shows the couple with their children, alongside Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, and her brother James.
- Prince William
- Prince George, 12
- Princess Charlotte, 11
- Prince Louis, 8
- Carole and Michael Middleton
- James Middleton
James Middleton used his own Sunday post to reveal he had climbed all three summits with his sister. “Two years ago, I told you we’d climb this mountain together,” he wrote. “We talked about climbing mountains while you were in hospital, and about the incredible healing power that nature can have for both the body and the mind.” He added: “Seeing how far you’ve come is nothing short of inspiring.” The Snowdon embrace was the public airing of an ascent the siblings had already completed side by side.
Why She Calls It a Chance to Give Something Back
Kate published a personal letter on the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity page, framing the climb around what comes after a cancer diagnosis. “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,” she wrote. Both she and William are joint patrons of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the London hospital where Kate received her own cancer treatment. The Royal Marsden’s fundraising page is where Kate chose to publish the letter in full.
Healing, whether personal or collective, is not just about fixing what is wrong. It is about finding balance in how we live. Between effort and acceptance, between control and trust, between thinking and simply being. Because 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.
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, wrote the letter carried on the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity page. The letter makes the case that the climb is a vehicle for the cause, not the cause itself. The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity page for Kate’s climb lists a fundraising target, a donation link, and the message in full. Each step Kate took up Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis is now tied to a specific build the charity has committed to. The Sunday photograph post is the front of the campaign; the Royal Marsden letter is the substance behind it.
The Personal Stakes Behind the Climb
Kate announced her cancer diagnosis in March 2024. She completed chemotherapy in September 2024 and announced her remission in January 2025. The Three Peaks climb came just under 18 months after that remission announcement.
Kate’s climb is a marked departure from the careful, low-key schedule that defined the months after her diagnosis. The Royal Marsden is the hospital that treated her. The hospital is also the institution she and William jointly patronised years before her own diagnosis became public. Both she and William continue to serve as joint patrons of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
Kensington Palace confirmed that Kate’s climb was a royal first, describing the expedition as “believed to be a royal first.” That framing matters for the fundraising pitch: a clean, completed first is harder for a donor to walk past. Kate is now the named standard-bearer for this particular challenge within the family. The climb is also a marked public turn for Kate since her cancer diagnosis. The cause is now bound to the climb.
Dame Cally Palmer, chief executive of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said the princess’s commitment to the hospital “stems from a deep empathy for those facing similar challenges.” Dame Cally added: “We are immensely grateful for this generous support that will make a difference to the lives of so many cancer patients and their families.” Her statement is the institution’s clearest public confirmation that the climb is being treated as a fundraising launchpad.
Where the Funds Are Going
The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity has set out what Kate’s climb will pay for. The funds raised will support more people with cancer to access holistic care. The charity is using the climb to push two specific builds. The Royal Marsden describes holistic care as supporting the whole person alongside clinical treatment.
- A new centre for holistic wellbeing and recovery at The Royal Marsden
- A specialist programme for transforming access to holistic care alongside clinical treatment, for patients across the UK
The plan is to create a blueprint for change so this supportive care becomes a standard part of cancer treatment nationally, per the charity’s fundraising page. Holistic care, as the Royal Marsden defines it, integrates physical, emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing alongside clinical care. The charity’s stated goal is to build a proven, scalable model of how a mind, body and spirit approach can be integrated alongside physical treatment. Without that model, the charity argues, holistic cancer care remains hard to deliver everywhere. The cause is meant to outlive the climb.
The fundraising page states the funds raised will support “more people with cancer to benefit from holistic care.” Per the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, the Princess is Joint Patron of the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the London specialist cancer centre that holds personal meaning for her. Her letter frames the climb as the start of a campaign, not the end of one.
The 11-Year-Old She Met on Ben Nevis
Kate met an 11-year-old wheelchair user named Ted while climbing Ben Nevis, per STV News. Ted was completing the same Three Peaks Challenge with his family and friends. He was raising money for Molly Olly’s Wishes, a charity that supports children with serious illnesses. Ted’s father, Pete Haslam, set up the JustGiving page.
On Monday, Kate donated to Ted’s cause on JustGiving and left a message: “One of the real highlights of the Three Peaks Challenge was meeting inspiring people like you along the way,” she wrote. “Huge congratulations to Ted, Pete and the entire team for raising money for such a wonderful cause.” The JustGiving page has raised more than £11,000. Ted’s page describes him as “a wheelchair user, but that’s never been the thing that defines him. Determination does.”
The Numbers of a 24-Hour Climb
Kate carried out the Three Peaks solo, with Mountain Rescue England and Wales supporting the route, per the official Court Circular. The Court Circular records that on the morning of June 28, 2026, Kate met representatives from Mountain Rescue England and Wales. The challenge was a 24 hours target window across all three countries.
- 23 miles (37km) of walking distance
- 3,064 metres (10,052 feet) of total ascent
- 462 miles of driving distance between peaks
- Three summits: Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon
Kate climbed Ben Nevis on the afternoon of June 27, 2026. She climbed Scafell Pike on the morning of June 28 and Snowdon the same afternoon, per the Court Circular. The challenge is timed against a single day’s walking and driving across all three countries. Kate met that mark.
The climb covers the highest peaks in each of Scotland, England and Wales. James Middleton completed all three peaks alongside her, ascending over 10,000 feet with his sister. He wrote on Instagram that he was “so incredibly proud” of his sister, framing the climb as a milestone the two of them had first imagined during Kate’s hospital stay. The official record of the climb is the Court’s June 28 entry. The cause it was built to fund runs on a longer clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What challenge did Kate Middleton complete?
The Princess of Wales completed the National Three Peaks Challenge, climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England, and Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) in Wales within 24 hours, per the official record of the challenge.
Which charity benefits from the climb?
The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, where Kate is Joint Patron. Funds will support a new centre for holistic wellbeing and recovery at The Royal Marsden and a specialist programme for transforming access to holistic care alongside clinical treatment, per the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity page for Kate’s climb.
Who greeted Kate at the end of the climb?
Prince William, their three children (Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, Prince Louis, 8), Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton, and her brother James Middleton. James also completed all three peaks alongside Kate. Kensington Palace framed the Sunday release as “this time last week,” placing the photos exactly seven days after the Snowdon descent.
Why is Kate supporting The Royal Marsden?
The Royal Marsden is the London hospital where Kate received her own cancer treatment. Her letter to the charity says the climb is a chance to “explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back” and to push for wider access to holistic cancer care.
Did anyone else climb with Kate?
Yes. James Middleton completed all three summits alongside her. Mountain Rescue England and Wales supported the route, per the official Court Circular.
