Kate Visits Colchester Hospital as Palace Confirms She Has the Green-light to Issue Royal Warrants

Several people messaged me this week worried because they had read a report that Kate wouldn’t be at Wimbledon and had cancelled plans for 2025. There are a lot of wild websites out there, and this morning, the Princess of Wales proved those “outlets” wrong when she stepped out smiling for an event highlighting healing from cancer.

The Princess visited Colchester Hospital in Essex where she chatted with staff, volunteers, and patients about the resources provided at the hospital that support both patients and their families.

Just last week, we were talking here on From Berkshire to Buckingham about the sometimes rocky days after cancer treatment is technically complete and how difficult they can be. Kate addressed these very themes today in her visit.

The Press Association provided extended comments from the Princess:

“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment, treatment’s done, then it’s like ‘I can crack on, get back to normal’ but actually the phase afterwards is really, you know, difficult you’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to and actually someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment I think is really valuable.”

She said: “It’s life changing for anyone, through first diagnosis or post-treatment and things like that, it is life changing experience both for the individual patient but also for the families as well and actually it sometimes goes unrecognised, you don’t necessarily, particularly when it’s the first time, you don’t appreciate how much impact it is going to have.

“You have to find your new normal and that takes time.

“Someone described the sort of healing, recovery journey to me as being like a sort of zig-zag.

“It’s a rollercoaster, it’s not one smooth plane, which you expect it to be, but the reality is it’s not, you go through hard times and to have a place like this, to have the support network, whether its through creativity and singing or gardening, whatever it might be, is so valuable and it’s great that this community has it.

“It would be great if lots of communities had this kind of support.”

She added: “There is this whole phase when you finish your treatment that you, yourself, everybody expects you, right you’ve finished your time, go, you’re better, and that’s not the case at all.”

After her time visiting inside, Kate toured the RHS Wellbeing Garden attached to the hospital, where she planted one of 50 “Catherine” roses (named for her) that had been donated to the garden.

Kate was wearing the Blazé Milano blazer she has worn on a number of occasions over a Ralph Lauren button down, JOSEPH trousers, and Veja sneakers. She completed the look with simple jewelry: her Cartier Trinity earrings, Cartier watch, and Auree Bali 9ct Gold Garnet January Birthstone Necklace.

Kate’s visit comes as the annual review of royal finances is released. Tucked away in a larger piece by Kate Mansey discussing this review is the very exciting tidbit that Buckingham Palace confirmed that William and Kate have finally gotten the green-light to issue their own royal warrants. You might recall that we have been waiting for this for a while now. There was talk that both the Prince and Princess of Wales would issue royal warrants, but then there was a long delay from the Palace.

Although we have talked about the strong contenders for her first royal warrants, I am also hoping for some unexpected and “unknown” warrant holders to emerge. Some warrants that give more of a peek into her private life. For me, some labels already have the royal aura, like Barbour, Troy London, Campbell’s of Beauly, etc., so I am surprised by how excited I am for the formal endorsements to start rolling out, but I really am!