Kate Middleton Made a Secret, “Under the Radar” Hospital Visit to Thank Nurses and Doctors for Supporting Her During Her Cancer Battle

This week marked a major milestone for Kate Middleton, who visited the Royal Marsden Hospital for her first solo public engagement in more than a year.

The venue of the royal's appearance was also significant, as the London hospital was also the place Kate secretly underwent her own chemotherapy treatment following her cancer diagnosis last year.

While the Princess of Wales' Jan. 14 visit to the Royal Marsden was very public and very well-documented by royal photographers, she reportedly managed an "under the radar" visit to the hospital in December, just before Christmas, to deliver hand-picked gifts and treats to the doctors and nurses there to show her gratitude for their care and support amid her cancer treatment.

According to the Daily Mail's report, Kate "was quietly taken through a back entrance at the hospital to avoid being spotted, just like she did during her treatment."

A source told the outlet that it was a "typically thoughtful" gesture for Kate, whose December visit to the Royal Marsden was "strictly private," according to the Daily Mail, which noted that the secret outing was "not recorded in the Court Circular, the official record of royal engagements."

In a personal message she penned for an Instagram post on her and Prince William's shared account, Kate made sure that the gratitude she expressed privately for the doctors and nurses involved in her cancer treatment was also public knowledge.

"I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to The Royal Marsden for looking after me so well during the past year," she wrote in a message in the caption of the post, which included a photo of Kate meeting with another cancer patient during her public visit to the hospital. "My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything. We couldn’t have asked for more."

She went on to discuss her new role as Joint Patron of The Royal Marsden, explaining that she hopes "that by supporting groundbreaking research and clinical excellence, as well as promoting patient and family wellbeing, we might save many more lives, and transform the experience of all those impacted by cancer."

Kate finished her message by announcing that she's currently in remission, but staying "focussed on recovery."

"As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal," she added. "I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support."