The Princess of Wales has revealed she has cut back on alcohol since her cancer diagnosis, as she and Prince William visited London's Bermondsey Beer Mile. Catherine, 44, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in early 2024 and underwent six months of chemotherapy, is now in remission and has resumed a normal schedule of royal engagements.
During a visit to Faber Beerhall, the princess politely declined an offer to try beer and cider, telling owner Hannah Rhodes: “Since my diagnosis, I haven’t had much alcohol.” She added: “It’s something I have to be a lot more conscious of now.” Rhodes offered Kate a soft drink instead, saying: “Fair enough.”
Turning to Prince William, Kate patted her husband’s knee and said: “But you like your cider, don’t you?” William then sampled a range of beers and ciders, including some from Rhodes’ brand Hiver, which uses honey from bee hives as a sugar replacement in fermentation. The princess, a beekeeper with hives at her Norfolk home of Anmer Hall, tried some of the honey by dipping a stick into a jar.
Earlier, the couple tried their hand at brewing at Southwark Brewing Company, where William added hops to the “kettle” while wearing black rubber gloves. After tipping the hops in, William remarked: “It smells like horse feed as you’re doing it. There’s a real mixture of smells.” Catherine then climbed the ladder to stir them in. They also had a pint-pulling contest, which the owner declared they won, joking they could return for a shift.
The couple also made a surprise visit to Borough Market, where they toured stalls, chopped cheese, made coffees, and served crumble and custard to shoppers. The unannounced visit delighted Londoners and tourists, who stopped to say hello and ask for selfies.
