Princess Kate completes remarkable mountain climb, hikers do double take

Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAYMon, June 29, 2026 at 1:42 PM UTC

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Princess Kate is keeping it casual while completing the Three Peaks Challenge.

The Princess of Wales, 44, revealed she scaled the three highest peaks in Great Britain in 24 hours to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, in an Instagram post on Sunday, June 28. In the photo, Kate leaned against a rock while sporting a black hooded windbreaker and baseball cap, no frills outside of her sapphire and diamond wedding and engagement ring by way of Princess Diana.

In her post, she called it "not simply as a physical endeavour but as a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back."

The charity supports work at the hospital where she underwent cancer treatment.

"Lots of people have asked me why I'm doing this challenge, and partly it's personal. I'm so grateful to be here, to be strong enough to walk these hills," she said in a follow-up video on Instagram. "But, more importantly, it's to give something back and acknowledge really all the incredible work going on up and down this country."

Kate, who is in remission, wrote that cancer affects more than just the body and comes with emotional and psychological challenges, requiring more than just medical treatment. She said she completed the challenge to highlight the importance of holistic, "whole person" approaches to cancer care.

Princess Kate's sweet nod to Princess Diana at Trooping the Colour

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"Healing, whether personal or collective, is not just about fixing what is wrong. It is about finding balance in how we live," she wrote.

After she completed the challenge, Kate was greeted by Prince William and their children, as well as her parents and brother, James Middleton.

Fellow hikers shared how they ran into the princess while climbing, with one person noting their group did not recognize her.

"My friends did not notice her passing by at all," Jacky Leung wrote in a Facebook post, sharing video of the princess climbing up stone stairs in a blue T-shirt, green cargo pants and a backpack. "Completing the National Three Peaks Challenge in 24 hours is a serious test of grit, and Her Royal Highness showed immense strength and spirit."

Following her 2024 cancer diagnosis, Kate underwent a course of preventative chemotherapy after having abdominal surgery. Her treatment ended months later, and in January 2025, she revealed her cancer is in remission. She has continued to highlight the work done at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and visit with patients at the center.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kate Middleton completes Three Peaks Challenge in casual gear: Photos

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