Cancer patient Peter Barton met Princess of Wales Kate Middleton during her visit to London's Royal Marsden Hospital. The 60-year-old patient spoke with her privately and later told reporters that the Duchess in real life is different from her reserved image in front of the cameras..

Middleton, who recently underwent treatment for cancer, took the man's hand while in his room.. According to Barton, he felt like the only person in the room when she visited him, reports Mirror.

“I was told that we would be meeting a VIP and I thought it would be Prince William, but to my surprise it was Her Royal Highness,” the man said. – Talking to Kate, a cancer survivor herself, was truly special.. I felt like she truly empathized with me and what I was going through.. When you see the Royal Family on TV, they have a role to play, but Kate was extremely friendly, genuinely interested in what I had to say, and took one-on-one time with me and each patient."

According to Barton, Middleton visited the day department, where she herself was receiving treatment..

The man, who is battling bone marrow cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, believes Kate came because she really wanted to meet patients and not just for a photo opportunity..

“We talked about how people think more about cancer patients than about the families who care for them, and that can be difficult,” the patient added. – She felt the same with her husband and children. It was also nice to know that Kate herself received treatment at the Royal Marsden."

Recall that Kate Middleton publicly announced that she had cancer in March 2024. The Princess of Wales successfully completed chemotherapy in September..