Kate, Princess of Wales, visited the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester on Tuesday to highlight the importance of holistic care for cancer patients. During her visit, she met 30-year-old Claire Lorente, who was marking the end of her breast cancer treatment.
The Princess embraced Claire and said, 'Well done, well done you. What a journey. Well done, you've been amazing. It's tough.' She also comforted Claire's partner Pablo and their eight-month-old son Enzo, telling the baby, 'Isn't mummy brave!' Claire then rang a bell to signify the end of her treatment, with Kate clapping and saying, 'This is your day!'
Claire described the meeting as 'overwhelming but absolutely brilliant.' Her mother, Nicola Barnes, revealed she had rung the same bell two years ago after her own cancer treatment. Kate also spoke with patients undergoing chemotherapy, acknowledging the emotional and physical toll of the disease. 'It changes your perspective. Your body changes so much, not just physically but emotionally, the deeper side of ourselves,' she said.
The Princess wore a blue dress with bee earrings, a nod to the Manchester worker bee symbol. She praised the hospital's holistic services, saying, 'It's so fantastic that in this clinical setting, you have these services alongside. It's so nice as a patient that you have this agency to take control of your wellbeing and recovery.'
