Kate Middleton visits children’s hospice with special connection to Princess Diana

Kate Middleton visited a children’s hospice that held a special place in the late Princess Diana’s heart.

The Princess of Wales ventured to Tŷ Hafan — the first of its kind in Wales — in the village of Sully on Thursday.

Middleton was photographed talking with the young patients and their parents, playing with the kids and their toys and even letting one young girl paint her hand red for a craft.

Middleton, 43, wore a favorite Zara black and white houndstooth print dress and appeared to be in good spirits for the visit, as she smiled and laughed in nearly every picture.

Diana was a major advocate for Tŷ Hafan, which is Welsh for “Haven House,” and even helped fund the project.

The late princess was named a patron during the charity’s fundraising phase, but she sadly never got to see the hospice in action before her death in 1997, two years before doors opened. Her ex-husband, King Charles III, was subsequently made a patron in 2001.

Middleton continued the family’s legacy Thursday when she took over from her father-in-law and was named a patron, too.

“We are deeply honored that Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales has become patron of Tŷ Hafan and it was an absolute pleasure to welcome Her Royal Highness to our hospice for the first time today,” chief executive Irfon Rees said in a statement.

Rees explained that the British royal will serve as an “inspiration for children with life-shortening conditions and their families, our dedicated staff and volunteers and everyone who so generously supports us.”

“No parent ever imagines that their child’s life will be short,” he continued. “Sadly this is the reality facing thousands of families in Wales. We can’t stop this happening, but together we can make sure that no one lives their child’s short life alone.”

Rees concluded his message by expressing how Middleton is “looking forward to building a similar relationship with Tŷ Hafan and the children and families it serves in Wales.”

Tŷ Hafan offers “free care and support to children with life-shortening conditions and their families, both within the hospice and in homes and communities in Wales,” according to its website.

Middleton embarked on the outing just two weeks after she surprised cancer patients at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, where she had been treated for cancer last year.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson explained that the princess hoped to “both show her gratitude to the incredible team, but also highlight the world leading care and treatment the Marsden provides.”

During the visit, Middleton announced that she was in remission less than a year after revealing her cancer diagnosis in March 2024.

“It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focussed on recovery,” she shared in an Instagram post on Jan. 14. “As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal.”

Middleton shared early last year that she was undergoing cancer treatment after doctors discovered the disease during a planned abdominal surgery.

She did not share the type or stage of her cancer.

By September, the royal announced that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment and was focused on staying cancer-free.