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Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Amy Mackelden

Princess Kate "Broke Protocol" to Hug a Fellow "Cancer Survivor" Following a Really "Tough Time"

Kate Middleton hugs Jessie J at the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall on November 19, 2025.

After sharing her cancer diagnosis with the public, Princess Kate has had a plethora of personal and heartfelt interactions with people experiencing similar health issues. British singer Jessie J—who was diagnosed with early breast cancer earlier this year—has opened up about her recent meeting with the Princess of Wales, which ended with them hugging.

During an appearance on Good Morning America on Friday, December 5, Jessie J reflected on meeting Princess Kate at the Royal Variety Performance in November 2025. "She just said, 'Thank you, I know you've gone through a tough time,'" the "Bang Bang" singer explained. "I said, 'I know you have too.'"

Jessie J continued, "I just said, 'I want to acknowledge that, mom to mom, cancer survivor to cancer survivor. I see you, and I feel you. Can I give you a hug?'" Princess Kate obliged and the pair hugged, despite members of the Royal Family usually forgoing such interactions, which are thought to break royal "protocol."

"She said, 'Of course you can,'" the "Domino" singer explained. "I'm grateful she received it in the way it was meant."

Jessie J speaks with Princess Kate backstage at the Royal Variety Performance in November 2025. (Image credit: Jonathan Buckmaster-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

During the same interview, Jessie J got candid about her diagnosis, and how it's affected her life so far. "When I got diagnosed with breast cancer, I wasn't scared," she said on Good Morning America. "I felt a little bit out of control."

The "Price Tag" singer explained, "But I am a sharer, and I wasn't gonna sit at home and cry about it." She continued, "It's just given me a deeper perspective, and I'm really riding that wave of living in the moment and enjoying life."

Jessie J hugs Princess Kate backstage at the Royal Variety Performance in November 2025. (Image credit: Jonathan Buckmaster-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The performer—who is mom to a 2-year old son named Sky—said of her cancer diagnosis, "I'm just like, we need to talk about these things. I've been very lucky. Super lucky to find it early." She continued, "I know there's a chance it could come back, but until then, we're living a life."

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