Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have spoken out after performing a rare royal engagement.
The Princesses of York joined their mother, Sarah Ferguson, in a visit to University College Hospital in London.
Princess Beatrice reflected on her first visit to the hospital at age 18, saying: “Sadly, cancer doesn’t care if you’re young or old and touches so many families in some way.
“I remember my mother bringing me to this very hospital on my 18th birthday to learn more about Teenage Cancer Trust’s work supporting young people, and it had such a huge impact on me.”
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice make feelings clear after performing rare royal engagement
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She added: “To be here again today and meet with young people and their families who are facing such huge challenges is a privilege and an honour. Their resilience in the face of adversity never ceases to amaze.”
Her sister, Princess Eugenie, praised the hospital staff as “absolute heroes” who are “so inspiring” and “go above and beyond” for patients.
She said: “Meeting the nurses and youth support workers on the unit that go above and beyond to make sure that the patients have the best possible experience of treatment is so inspiring they are absolute heroes.
“Nobody ever wants to find themselves in hospital, but for young people with cancer and their families, units like these – bright welcoming spaces with amazing staff – truly are the best possible place.”
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice posing with their mother, Sarah Ferguson
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The Duchess of York and her daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, visited teenage cancer patients at the hospital.
The emotional visit comes months after Sarah, 65, received a clean bill of health following back-to-back cancer diagnoses of breast cancer in summer 2023 and skin cancer in January.
The Duchess spoke about her own cancer journey, saying: “This is the first chance I’ve had to visit a unit since my own cancer diagnoses, and meeting young people with cancer is always an incredibly moving experience.”
She emphasised her desire to “amplify the voices and experiences of people with cancer who receive less attention, whose voices are not listened to and who can be overlooked.”
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice do not usually perform royal engagements
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Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice received praise after their rare outing
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During the visit, Princess Eugenie received a bouquet of flowers from young cancer patient Belle Tucker.
The trio also met Matthew Pegg, with Sarah, Beatrice and Eugenie joining the cancer survivor for a selfie.
In addition, they met 18-year-old Lennon Pearson from Whitham, Essex, who was diagnosed with Lymphoma in January.
“You don’t meet Royalty every day and it’s good that they are visiting to raise awareness,” Lennon told the Mail, who begins his fourth cycle of chemotherapy on Thursday.
