Kate Middleton’s laser focus on cherry picking royal occasions where she can truly shine a spotlight rang out loud and clear this weekend after she shared a surprise video montage of a visit to the Ever After Garden in London. The seasonal outdoor space has opened annually during the holiday season since 2019 as a fundraiser to benefit the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Given it’s been almost a year since the Princess of Wales confirmed she was in remission following her own cancer diagnosis, it’s extra meaningful that she not only dropped by, but also that she left a note.
Kate Middleton Pens Personal Note (& Dons Stunning Tartan Re-Wear) for Cause Close to Her Heart
Her surprise visit was a meaningful one
Published Dec 15, 2025
•6:43pm
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Alongside her video message—posted to the official Instagram account for the Prince and Princess of Wales—Catherine typed: “Thank you to all those who have contributed to the Ever After Garden, which raises vital funds for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Every flower, every light, is a memory held together, an illumination of shared love, remembrance, and hope — C.” (The addition of Catherine’s first initial is the official sign that this message was written herself.)
But that’s not all: During her visit to the garden, which has raised more than $1.6 million for the Royal Marsden NHS since it first opened, the Princess of Wales also left a handwritten note on-site that reads: “In memory of all those who have lost their lives to cancer. C.” (A shot of the message is visible at the end of the video she shared.)
As she stepped out to support such a worthy royal cause, Princess Catherine chose a familiar blue and green tartan coat, which is still in stock and made by Holland Cooper, a beloved British brand. It’s also a coat she’s worn before—first in 2021 for an event with the Royal British Legion and Scouts, then again in 2022 to plant a tree in Queen Elizabeth II’s honor outside Westminster Abbey. (The Princess of Wales reached for the jacket yet again for a royal engagement in Merseyside in 2023.) It’s clearly a favorite in her closet.
It’s also festive and perfectly on theme for the holiday season, a sartorial choice that likely brought a bit of extra cheer to her appearance over the weekend.
Altogether it was a meaningful—and surprise—royal moment.
