Kate Middleton made a surprise visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London on Friday, returning to the cancer centre where she received treatment in 2024.

The Princess of Wales met patients, families and staff during the private engagement, hearing about their experiences and learning more about the hospital’s plans for a new Centre for Holistic Wellbeing and Recovery.

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The visit followed Kate’s National Three Peaks Challenge in June, when she climbed Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England and Snowdon in Wales within 24 hours. The challenge raised money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and was also intended to help her “explore life beyond diagnosis” following her own experience with cancer.

The funds raised through the challenge will support the development of the new specialist centre, which aims to expand holistic support for cancer patients alongside their clinical treatment. The project will also contribute to research into how complementary care can support patients during treatment and recovery.

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During Friday’s visit, Kate spoke with patients about their experiences of cancer. She met 74-year-old head and neck cancer patient Mike Collett, who is living with a brain tumour, and described him as an “inspiration” after they spoke about the support they had received from their children.

Kate has previously spoken about the importance of support beyond the medical treatment itself. During the visit, she praised the care she received at the Royal Marsden and described the hospital’s plans for expanding holistic care as “transformative”.

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Kate revealed in March 2024 that cancer had been discovered following planned abdominal surgery. She underwent a course of preventative chemotherapy and announced in January 2025 that she was in remission. The type of cancer was not disclosed publicly.

Her relationship with the Royal Marsden continued after her treatment. In 2025, Kate and Prince William became joint patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, giving them a formal role in supporting the organisation’s work.

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Kate also chose a familiar look for the engagement, wearing an emerald-green Suzannah London dress that she had previously worn. The outfit was accompanied by a pendant necklace, with royal fashion publications noting the significance of her repeat wardrobe choice.

The visit brought together two parts of Kate’s relationship with the Royal Marsden: her experience as a former patient and her current work supporting the hospital’s wider approach to cancer care. Her Three Peaks fundraising effort will now contribute to a project designed to give patients access to additional support during treatment, recovery and beyond.

Prince George has begun a new chapter in his education, arriving at Eton College on Tuesday, September 8, accompanied by his parents, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales.

The 13-year-old, who is second in line to the British throne, was welcomed to the Berkshire school by head master Simon Henderson and Provost Sir Nicholas Coleridge. Henderson greeted George with a simple message: “Welcome, good luck, enjoy it.”

The arrival marked a significant moment for the young royal, who is beginning his secondary education at one of Britain’s most historic schools. George was dressed in Eton’s traditional smart attire, including a dark blazer, shirt, tie, chinos and brown suede shoes, as he walked with his parents through the school grounds.

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The family arrived from Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, their nearby home, making the journey to Eton a relatively short one. George’s younger siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, were not present for the occasion and are continuing their education at Lambrook School, where all three children previously studied together.

George’s move to Eton also continues a family tradition. His father attended the school from 1995, while his uncle, Prince Harry, was also educated there. William’s first day was notably more public, with his parents, then Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and Harry accompanying him for photographs as he signed in on September 6, 1995.

Eton’s connection with the royal family stretches beyond the Wales household. Founded by King Henry VI in 1440 and situated close to Windsor Castle, the school has educated numerous prominent figures, including 20 British prime ministers and actors such as Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie. Writers George Orwell and Ian Fleming and adventurer Bear Grylls are also among its former pupils.

Prince George in uniform on his first day at Eton College
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George will attend the all-boys boarding school as a full-time boarder. The school is known for its distinctive traditions, including pupils wearing tailcoats on formal occasions and referring to teachers as “beaks”. Annual fees are reported at approximately £65,000, placing Eton among Britain’s most expensive independent schools.

His arrival also places him at the centre of a very different media landscape from the one his father experienced. Town & Country notes that George is the first future British monarch to begin secondary school in the smartphone and social-media era. Eton has strict photography rules and has introduced basic “brick” phones for pupils, reflecting the wider effort to limit digital distractions and protect students’ privacy.

The school choice had been the subject of considerable interest before George’s enrollment was confirmed. William and Kate were reportedly seen touring Eton with their eldest son in 2023, while other schools, including Marlborough College and Oundle School, had been linked to the family in reports. Eton was ultimately chosen, allowing George to remain close to the Wales family’s Windsor home.

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Kate also brought a familiar piece of her wardrobe to the occasion, wearing a bottle-green Emilia Wickstead midi dress she had previously worn in 2023. She paired it with chocolate-brown heels and a Laura Lombardi chain necklace, reinforcing the Princess of Wales’s well-established preference for reworking pieces from her existing wardrobe rather than treating every public appearance as a new look.

George’s first day at Eton falls on September 8, exactly four years after the death of his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and the accession of his grandfather, King Charles III. The date therefore carries a particular significance for a young royal whose future role will place him at the centre of the monarchy.

For now, however, George’s immediate milestone is much more personal: settling into a new school, meeting new classmates and beginning life at Eton. His arrival marks the end of his years at Lambrook and the beginning of an education shared, in a distinctly different generation, with both his father and uncle.

Princess Leonor has started university in Madrid after completing three years of military training with Spain’s Army, Navy and Air and Space Force.

The 20-year-old Princess of Asturias arrived at Carlos III University’s Getafe campus on September 7, greeted by rector Ángel Arias and other university officials. Before entering the faculty, Leonor said she was starting her university studies “with great enthusiasm.”

Leonor will spend the next four years studying Political Science at the public university. Her degree covers areas including political science, law, economics, sociology, history, humanities and international relations, giving her an academic background closely connected to public affairs and the responsibilities she will eventually assume as Spain’s head of state.

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Her university arrival follows an unusually intensive three-year military education. She began at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza before continuing her training at the Naval Military Academy in Marín and later the General Air and Space Academy in San Javier. Her time in the Navy included months aboard the training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano, while her final year included flight and parachute training.

That period of military training was part of her preparation for her future role as commander-in-chief of Spain’s armed forces. She is expected to receive her commissions as a lieutenant in the Army and Air and Space Force and as an ensign in the Navy next July.

At university, however, Leonor is expected to follow the same academic routine as other students. Around 40 students will share her classroom during the first year, and the university has stressed that her presence has not resulted in special selection of students or professors. Her classes are scheduled from 9am to 2pm, with seminars held on Thursdays.

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There is still considerable attention around her arrival. More than 4,000 new students began their studies at Carlos III University that day, while journalists gathered outside the Getafe campus to document the heir to the Spanish throne beginning her studies. Officials have said the aim is to maintain a sense of normality for Leonor and her classmates.

Leonor will also continue carrying out her institutional responsibilities alongside her studies. Her move from military academies to a public university marks another stage in the preparation of Spain’s future queen, this time through a degree focused on the political, legal and social subjects that will form part of her public life.