Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie undertook a poignant visit on Wednesday as the trio visited the Teenage Cancer Trust at the University College Hospital in London.
During the trip, they met with young cancer patients as well as the medical teams that look after them. One of the people met during the trip was 21-year-old Freddie Debenham, who has gone through cancer treatment three times, alongside 18-year-old Lennon Pearson.
© Alamy Stock PhotoSpeaking of the visit, Lennon said: "I had been feeling unwell for months, so my GP ordered a blood test. The next day I was rushed to hospital, and I'm starting my 4th cycle of chemo here tomorrow. You don't meet royalty every day and it's good that they are visiting to raise awareness.
"There's a lot of negativity around cancer so trying to stay as positive as you can is important."
© Alamy Stock PhotoSarah, who has been diagnosed with cancer twice, spoke about the impact of the visit on herself. "This is the first chance I've had to visit a unit since my own cancer diagnoses, and meeting young people with cancer is always an incredibly moving experience," she said.
"It's incredibly important to me to try to amplify the voices and experiences of people with cancer who receive less attention, whose voices are not listened to and who can be overlooked.
© Alamy Stock Photo"The young people receiving care on this unit and their parents are currently under tremendous stress and worry, but I take heart in knowing that the unit and the incredible team working here can provide comfort, care, and hope."
The visit also moved Sarah's daughters, with Beatrice saying: "Sadly, cancer doesn't care if you’re young or old and touches so many families in some way. I remember my mother bringing me to this very hospital on my 18th birthday to learn more about Teenage Cancer Trust's work supporting young people, and it had such a huge impact on me.
© Alamy Stock Photo"To be here again today and meet with young people and their families who are facing such huge challenges is a privilege and an honour. Their resilience in the face of adversity never ceases to amaze."
Eugenie added: "Meeting the nurses and youth support workers on the unit that go above and beyond to make sure that the patients have the best possible experience of treatment is so inspiring – they are absolute heroes.
© Alamy Stock Photo"Nobody ever wants to find themselves in hospital, but for young people with cancer and their families, units like these - bright welcoming spaces with amazing staff - truly are the best possible place."
Their visit to the ward came shortly after Sarah wrote a comment piece in The Times directly calling on Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to make it easier to get diagnosed with cancer earlier and for better access to clinical trials and mental health support.
Sarah's cancer
Sarah has been diagnosed with cancer twice during her life. In 2023, the mother-of-two revealed that she had been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer during a routine mammogram. She underwent a mastectomy to cure the condition, later having reconstructive surgery.
The following year, she was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma after having several moles removed for analysis.
© Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockSpeaking exclusively to HELLO! last year, she said of her treatment: "I have to be checked regularly and I have to put cream on my face to get out past sun damage, which means big blisters on my face, chest and hands for three weeks.
"But I'm not doing immunotherapy, taking any drugs or doing chemotherapy, for which I'm very grateful."
