Catherine, Princess of Wales revealed on June 28 that she secretly completed Britain's National Three Peaks Challenge, sharing a photo of herself smiling atop Ben Nevis that was taken the previous evening.
The Princess of Wales climbed Britain's highest mountains in Scotland, England, and Wales in less than 24 hours to highlight life after a cancer diagnosis and to raise funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. The challenge included ascending Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon.
The route covered 23 miles (approximately 37 kilometers) of hiking, with a total elevation gain of 10,052 feet (about 3,064 meters). After reaching the summit of Snowdon, the princess was greeted by Prince William and their children, along with her parents and brother. Although she completed each climb on her own, Mountain Rescue teams supported her throughout the challenge.
The Princess of Wales announced in early 2024 that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing preventive chemotherapy. She later completed treatment and confirmed in January 2025 that she was in remission.
Every cancer patient in treatment dreams of hearing they are finally in remission with no evidence of disease. This powerful statement is often met with relief by patients and their caregivers. But what does it mean to be in remission or have no evidence of disease? Does this mean that patients can consider themselves fully recovered? Can cancer patients ever really be cancer-free?
These are some of the questions we explore in this gallery. Click on to read more.