The Princess of Wales has said she has been “blown away” by the response to her charity Three Peaks Challenge and told of the “atrocious” weather. Kate was speaking to former tennis star Tim Henman as they attended a match at Wimbledon last week, telling him that climbing the mountains despite the downpour was “a very sort of stoically British thing to do”.
Royal First: Completing the Three Peaks in 24 Hours
The future queen hiked the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales – Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon – within 24 hours at the end of June. She took on the challenge to raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and “explore life beyond diagnosis”. Kensington Palace said it believed the expedition was a royal first, with Kate being the first member of the royal family to complete the Three Peaks Challenge.
Wimbledon Conversation Captured
Last Thursday, Kate attended the fourth day of Wimbledon to watch Briton Arthur Fery play his second-round match against Otto Virtanen and sat alongside the chairwoman of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) Deborah Jevans and former British tennis number one Henman. In a short, special edition of Overheard at Wimbledon – a series shared on social media which captures comments and reactions from the audience during the tennis tournament – Kate was recorded as she discussed her experience of the Three Peaks Challenge with Ms Jevans and Henman.
The former British men’s tennis number one can be heard asking the princess: “When you did your Three Peaks, how was the sort of, a, the preparation, and b, because you did it in 24 hours, didn’t you?” The princess replied: “I did it in 24 hours, yeah. That was the challenge anyway, I think, but I think part of the journey was trying to enjoy the process, like the training beforehand, but also making time … during the walk to meet people and enjoy the journey, rather than just actually just quickly getting to the top. The weather was atrocious. I mean, everybody got soaked through, but it was a very sort of stoically British thing to do. You know, you’re soaking wet, and everyone’s going ‘come on, we can do it’.”
Charity Motivation and Generous Donations
When Henman asked whether she completed the challenge to support a charity, Kate said: “Yes, it was for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. I’ve just been so blown away by all the donations and all things. Everyone’s been so generous. That’s what keeps you going, it’s when you know you’re doing it for a good cause. Keeps you going through the hard times.”
After she completed the challenge in June, pictures were shared on social media of the princess being met by the Prince of Wales and her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, parents Carole and Michael Middleton and brother James Middleton. Kate is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) and regularly attends Wimbledon.
