The Princess of Wales hosted a special tea party at Windsor Castle for adventurers she met while completing the Three Peaks Challenge.
In June, the future Queen completed the challenge in a surprise feat of endurance to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and “explore life beyond diagnosis”.
After scaling the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales – Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon – within 24 hours, she revealed that she took on the challenge not only as a physical endeavour but “to give something back” and raise awareness of the wider impact of serious illness.
Kensington Palace said the princess was believed to be the first member of the royal family to complete the feat.
While climbing Ben Nevis, she crossed paths with 11-year-old Ted Haslam, a wheelchair user who completed the challenge with the help of family and friends to raise money for Molly Olly’s Wishes, a charity which supports children with serious illnesses.
The princess donated to Ted’s cause on Just Giving at the time, and left a message which read: “One of the real highlights of the Three Peaks Challenge was meeting inspiring people like you along the way.
“Huge congratulations to Ted, Pete and the entire team for raising money for such a wonderful cause.”
Last Tuesday, Kate hosted Ted, his family and some of the other fundraisers she met along the way for afternoon tea at the King’s Berkshire home.
Among the guests was record-breaker Trish Patterson, who became the fastest woman to complete the challenge on foot, running between the peaks and finishing in five days and 21 hours.
She completed her mammoth effort a few days after Kate and raised money for Mind Over Mountains, in memory of a close friend.
Shaun McCormick, who met Kate at the start of her challenge, also enjoyed tea with the princess after taking on the challenge to fundraise for his friend’s nephew, who had been diagnosed with cancer.
The princess, who announced in January 2025 that she was in remission from cancer, is seen in a social media video sitting down with her guests, including Ted.
In a written message accompanying the post, Kate said: “It was a pleasure to welcome other Three Peaks Challenge participants and their families to Windsor Castle.
“Behind every summit was a personal story of resilience, determination and hope.
“Listening to their experiences of the challenge and their reasons for taking it on was a powerful reminder that recovery is rarely a journey we make alone, and of the importance of the people who walk alongside us along the way. C”
