Kate Middleton is lauded for her empathy as she visits Marsdon Cancer hospital.
The Princess of Wales, who spoke to one of the patients about his diagnosis, admits she made him feel like ‘he was the only person in the room.’
Speaking to Mirror, patient Peter Burton, 60, revealed: “I was told we were going to be meeting a VIP and my guess was that it was going to be Prince William, but to my surprise, it was Her Royal Highness.
“Speaking to Kate, who herself has been through cancer, was really special – it felt like she could genuinely empathise with me and what I’m going through. When you see the Royal Family on TV they are carrying out a role - but Kate was extremely personable, genuinely interested in what I had to say and took time one-on-one with me and every patient.
“She visited the day unit, which is where people are actually having treatment, so it was business as usual which made it even more genuine, and made you realise she was there because she genuinely wanted to be there and not just for a photo opportunity.”
He continued: “We spoke about how often people think about cancer patients rather than the family looking after them which can be difficult – it was something she was really able to relate to having felt the same with her husband and children. It was also nice to learn that Kate herself was treated at the Royal Marsden – it means she can really relate to patients like me.”