During a surprise joint engagement at London’s Charing Cross hospital, the Princess of Wales introduced Prince William to a patient in a very informal way
William and Kate share a joke with a patient in the therapy gym at the hospital (Image: PA)
Princess Kate delighted royal fans on Thursday when she made the last-minute decision to join Prince William on an official visit to London’s Charing Cross hospital. As the Prince and Princess of Wales met with excited staff, volunteers and patients, Kate introduced her husband with no royal flair or titles, capturing the attention of royal watchers.
On their first royal engagement of 2026, William and Kate travelled to the West London hospital to acknowledge the incredible work of NHS staff over a difficult winter period, highlighting the vital work of NHS Charities Together, of which William and Kate are Joint Patrons.
The Prince and Princess of Wales met staff and patients at London’s Charing Cross hospital (Image: )
As seen in a video shared to social media, Kate politely greeted a patient in the hospital’s gym room, asked her name and before introducing her to the heir to the throne. Kate simply said: “This is William.” The Prince of Wales then shook the patient’s hand and made her laugh as he said: “We’ve come to interrupt your gym session.”
Royal fans were quick to spot the informal introduction and took to social media to praise the princess. One user wrote on X: “I love how she introduces her husband, ‘This is William’, no titles, no protocol.”
Another one added: “And they are both so humble, she introduced PW, ‘This is William’, to one of the patients.” The informal introduction resonated with royal watchers who appreciated the absence of royal formality while mingling with the public.
Prince William holds many titles — including the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cornwall and the Duke of Rothesay — but he and his wife don’t usually refer to themselves by their royal titles.
Kate introduced William in a humble way, delighting royal fans(Image: PA)
The royal couple instead refer to each other simply as William and Catherine. The Prince and Princess of Wales are also known to sign social messages that come directly from them as “W” or “C,” using their initials as shorthand for their first names.
Arriving at the hospital yesterday morning, the Prince and Princess were greeted with smiling faces and excited murmurs as they surprised healthcare staff on their tea break, spending time with them to discuss the pressures they are facing during the winter virus season.
The Princess of Wales, who wore a burgundy suit for the occasion, bonded with a volunteer who worked with chemotherapy patients who told them how patients and visitors are there “for hours”. Kate, whose cancer is in remission, said: “I know”, before she touched William’s arm next to her and said: “We know.”
Kate spoke about her cancer journey with dedicated volunteers (Image: Ryan Jenkinson / Kensington Palace)
William and Kate then met with volunteers managed by the charity who help to improve care for patients and take pressure off the wider workforce. Mealtime volunteer for Imperial Health Charity Gulsenem Vural, 21, attended the special tea party, saying of the visit: “Today has been an absolutely incredible experience that I will never forget – The Prince and Princess were so interested in hearing about everything we do to support the staff and patients at the hospital, and I’m proud to have been able to represent all of the volunteers today.”
Kate opted to leave her iconic engagement ring – which once belonged to Princess Diana – at home for the visit, as she has done in the past when visiting a hospital. Rings with large stones are believed to be an infection risk, as many healthcare professionals only wear plain band-style rings for this reason.
