Princess Kate stepped out with her family for the royals’ annual Christmas Day walkabout and she shared a sweet moment with a cancer patient.
On December 25, members of the royal family spoke with fans who had gathered in Sandringham following a church service.
The Princess of Wales, who announced the end of her chemotherapy treatment in September, was seen embracing a fellow cancer patient during the walkabout, leaving the woman moved.
Pensioner Karen Maclean, 73, shared details about her moment with Kate as she said the hug was “really unexpected”.
Karen is still receiving treatment for cancer. Speaking to The Sun about her moment with the princess, Karen said: “We were talking about our illnesses, because we’re both cancer victims, when she reached out and hugged me.
“It was really unexpected and such a joy… I gave her a tight squeeze back. It was such a surreal moment. I wasn’t expecting that at all. It was so overwhelmingly good.
“You get a camaraderie with other cancer victims. Unless you’ve been on that journey you can’t understand what it’s like.”
Elsewhere, Kate also spoke to Rachel Anvil – an NHS worker.
Kate told Rachel during the walkabout: “The amount of people who have written this year is extraordinary and I think cancer just really does resonate with so many families.
“People like you are doing all the hard work out there. I’m hugely grateful.”
It was really unexpected and such a joy… I gave her a tight squeeze back.
Speaking to the MailOnline about Kate, Rachel said: “She was wonderful. She was really respectful and grateful. She said people like me an other health care workers are the ones who are doing all the hard work.
“It was real privilege. We are only down the road. So get close and personal, it not an opportunity that comes up all the time. I shook her hand. I’m really lucky.”
In September, Kate announced the end of her cancer treatment.
It came months after she shared her diagnosis publicly in March. In a video shared after her summer break with her family, Kate said: “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown.”
Read more: Princess Kate shares new statement about ‘difficult times’ ahead of TV appearance with George, Charlotte and Louis
She added: “Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”