It's an effort that only became public after the fact: Princess Kate (44) secretly climbed the three highest mountains in Scotland, England, and Wales last weekend. And all within less than 24 hours. With the so-called National Three Peaks Challenge, the wife of heir to the throne Prince William (44) is raising donations for a cancer charity and at the same time raising awareness about life after a cancer diagnosis.
As Kensington Palace confirmed with a photo and a statement via Instagram, Kate is the first member of the royal family to master the challenge. A photo from the summit of Ben Nevis, taken on Saturday evening, was shared by the Princess on Sunday on social media - showing her smiling in a performance jacket and with hiking gear.
Three countries, three peaks, 24 hours
The challenge leads to the highest mountains in Scotland, England, and Wales respectively: Ben Nevis (1,345 meters), Scafell Pike (978 meters), and Snowdon, in Welsh Yr Wyddfa (1,085 meters). Anyone who wants to complete it must climb all three peaks within 24 hours, which means a total of around 37 kilometers of hiking and more than 3,000 meters of elevation gain, plus around 740 kilometers of travel between the mountains. According to reports, around 30,000 people attempt this route each year.
Kate started on Saturday evening and completed each of the three ascents alone, accompanied along the way by mountain rescue. At the finish at the foot of Snowdon, Prince William and their children Prince George (12), Princess Charlotte (11), and Prince Louis (8) were waiting for her, as well as her parents Carole (71) and Michael Middleton (77) and her brother James Middleton (39). "I didn't just take on the National Three Peaks Challenge as a physical challenge, but as an opportunity to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back", said the Princess.
Princess Kate: "It's personal"
Why she took on the ordeal, Kate explained in a short video. "Many people have asked me why I'm doing this challenge - and in part, it's personal", she said. "I'm so grateful to be here, to be strong enough to hike these hills." But above all, she wants to "give something back" and honor the work being done across the country.
In her written statement, the Princess became even more fundamental. "Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in this country hear the words that no one wants to hear", she wrote. What follows is a journey that tests every part of a person, "physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually". Cancer doesn't just affect the body: "It changes how you think and feel, and profoundly affects every aspect of life. I know this from personal experience."
Donations for holistic cancer care
With this effort, Kate is supporting the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, the clinic in Chelsea in West London where she herself was treated. The funds raised are intended to help provide more cancer patients with access to holistic care that complements clinical treatments. According to the specially created donation page at royalmarsden.org/princessofwales, a new center for holistic well-being and recovery is planned.
Kate made her cancer diagnosis public in March 2024 in an emotional video and announced in January 2025 that she was in remission. What form of cancer was diagnosed in her is not known; she underwent chemotherapy.
