Kate Middleton’s light-hearted joke as she greeted hospital staff revealed

The Princess of Wales displayed her light-hearted sense of humour on Tuesday as she sweetly joked with staff during her visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital. 

Kate, 43, paid a visit to the site yesterday, where she’d been undergoing her own cancer treatment following her diagnosis last year. 

The mother-of-three was clearly in positive spirits as she bid farewell to hospital staff – before sharing the happy news that she’s in remission for cancer yesterday afternoon. 

As she neared the end of her visit, the princess appeared to be on her way out, but soon turned back after noticing crowds of cheering hospital staff. 

She was clearly delighted by the joyous reaction, beaming widely and sharing laughs and jokes with those who had turned out to greet her. 

As she waved to staff by the exit, Kate joked: ‘Hi, fabulous – is this what happens normally?’

Following their conversation and referring to the jubilant atmosphere, she also joked: ‘I’ll let you carry on your party!’

Her comments led to a huge burst of laughter from the crowd as she turned to leave, with many getting out their phones to film their short glimpse of the princess.  

Kate added: ‘Hi everybody. It’s lovely to come and meet everybody, some of the patients and some of the amazing staff that work here. Thank you very much everybody.’ 

The compassionate mother-of-three met with patients to show her support and personally thanked staff for their ‘exceptional care, support and compassion’ over the past 12 months. 

She was effortlessly elegant in an all-red ensemble, adding a pop of colour to the dreary January weather in a burgundy £770 turtleneck from Gabriela Hearst and Edeline Lee’s £595 ‘Plait’ skirt – both of which she has worn before – as she embarked on her first major solo engagement in more than a year.

The royal teamed her sophisticated look with burgundy stiletto heels and wore her chestnut tresses down in loose waves and opted for a warm toned make-up look. 

Later, she was seen sporting the Blaze Milano ‘Lahloo Anyway’ checked wool blazer – currently £979 on the site – over her ensemble that she paired with a matching leather handbag.

It is understood that the visit was always planned to be a solo engagement for the princess, even though her husband is already patron, as it was felt important for her to visit the Marsden independently to reflect on her own ‘personal journey’. The decision had William’s full backing and support. 

Following her visit yesterday, the Princess of Wales said it was ‘a relief to now be in remission’ from cancer and that she is ‘looking forward to a fulfilling year’. 

In a message on social media, signed ‘C’, Catherine thanked staff at the Royal Marsden Hospital for her ‘exceptional’ care.

‘I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year,’ the post read. 

‘My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything.

‘We couldn’t have asked for more. The care and advice we have received throughout my time as a patient has been exceptional.

‘In my new role as Joint Patron of The Royal Marsden, my hope is that by supporting groundbreaking research and clinical excellence, as well as promoting patient and family wellbeing, we might save many more lives, and transform the experience of all those impacted by cancer.

‘It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focussed on recovery. As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal.

‘I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.’

It was the first time the Princess has used to the word ‘remission’ to describe where she is on her cancer journey, which will come as a delight to fans. 

However, professionals – and clearly the Princess – shy away from using the word ‘cured’, as some cancers can return.

Doctors tend to use the word to mean there there is no sign of the cancer following treatment.

Catherine met with patients at the Royal Marsden hospital to show her support and personally thank staff for their ‘exceptional care, support and compassion’ over the past 12 months.

Revealing how she struggled with a gruelling course of preventative chemotherapy, she said ‘It’s really tough’, as she empathised with one patient who was having chemotherapy. ‘It’s such a shock,’ she added.

Recalling words of advice that helped her, the Princess said: ‘Everyone said to me “Please keep a positive mindset, it makes such a difference”,’ she said, adding that ‘When I came in everyone said make sure you have all your warm things [clothes] on’ because of the side effects.

The Princess asked patients about their treatment, trials and wellbeing, and asked after their families.

‘Oh my goodness,’ she exclaimed on occasion, while hearing difficult accounts of long treatment, as she shook her head sympathetically.

Of the importance of looking after oneself during and after treatment, she said: ‘I really felt like I needed to get the sun. You need loads of water and loads of sunlight.’

When one woman’s machinery started beeping during their conversation, signalling treatment was needed, she said: ‘I recognise that beep!’

Hearing about one man’s diagnosis, the Princess said: ‘The body is amazing at telling us “You need to take time out”.’

Ruth Bosworth, whose husband Richard was having treatment, told the Princess she had ‘managed the children [George, Charlotte and Louis] so well’, making her smile warmly. ‘Oh, that’s kind,’ she replied.

A number of the patients opened the conversation by asking how the Princess was feeling. She replied that she was doing well, but recalled the cycle of treatment, saying ‘Sometimes you feel relatively well, and then you have another one’.

‘Sometimes from the outside we all think “You’ve finished treatment and you go back to things”. But it’s hard to get back to normal,’ she said

 As she walked through the main entrance of the hospital’s Chelsea site, the Princess – dressed in a long brown winter coat and heels – was heard to say: ‘Coming in the front entrance here, having made so many quiet, private visits, actually it’s quite nice.’

Sitting down to talk to one lady who was undergoing treatment while wearing a cold cap to prevent hair loss, Catherine said: ‘When did you first start treatment? Oh, today? How are you finding it?’

She hugged one well-wisher and told them: ‘I wanted to come and show my support for the amazing work that’s going on here and for those who are going through treatment and having such a hard time. Are you OK? There is light at the end of that tunnel. Very nice to meet you and best of luck. You are in the best of hands.’

Chatting with staff, Catherine said: ‘You think treatment’s finished, crack on with that… daily tasks, but that’s still like a real challenge. And talking… the words totally disappear… understanding that as a patient, yes there are side effects around treatment, but actually there are more long-term side effects.’

And she told one patient: ‘The resilience you need to get through, first of all, a small taster of what you’ve gone through… It’s to keep coming back… to be as positive as you are. The treatments are really so different and so varied, it impacts families differently.’

It came as Kensington Palace revealed that the Princess will join her husband as joint royal patron of The Royal Marsden, a role that Prince William’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales, once held before her.

A spokesman told the Mail: ‘The Princess wanted to make the journey to both show her gratitude to the incredible team, but also highlight the world-leading care and treatment the Marsden provides.’

As revealed by the Mail on Sunday earlier this month, today’s visit is one of a small number of engagements Catherine will undertake this year as part of a deliberately slow and measured return to duties.

Indeed, Kensington Palace were keen to stress today that the guidance around her return to public-facing engagements has not changed and that it would continue to be ‘gradual’.

‘Today was about visiting the Marsden to reflect on her own personal journey,’ an aide emphasised.

The Princess shared details of her own treatment and met with other cancer patients, swapping stories about their time at the Marsden.

She joked that it was a novelty for her to enter through the front door, adding that it was ‘quite nice’ to see the proper reception.

She told numerous patients that it was so important to keep ‘doing the things that give you joy’, adding that a cancer diagnosis ‘makes you appreciate all the small things in life that you take for granted’.

The Princess also spoke to doctors and nurses involved in care and research, as well as pilot projects at the Marsden to improve holistic care.

Speaking of receiving a diagnosis, she said: ‘It’s the uncertainty of that initial diagnosis. It’s such a wealth of information. Understanding the diagnosis, it’s a massive amount of information to take on as a patient. Having that continuity, in the clinical setting and outside in the home setting, is so important.’

In a discussion about holistic care, she repeated that the ‘continuity is so important, on good days and bad days’.

She added: ‘I feel like it’s sometimes for the loved ones around us. They need support just as much as I did as the patient.’

The Princess also praised the Marsden staff highly, saying she had heard from many patients about how much their care had helped.

‘Whilst they don’t want to be there, they’re very grateful for everything the Marsden does,’ she said.

Her final official introduction was to Scout, the on-hand Pets As Therapy dog.

Bending over to stroke Scout, who offered her a paw, the Princess said: ‘I bet patients absolutely love her.’