The Princess of Wales brings Awareness to Holistic Healthcare Upon Completion of Three Peaks Challenge
The Princess of Wales completed the Three Peaks challenge over the weekend. The challenge involves a blend of driving and trekking through three of the highest mountain peaks in England, Scotland and Wales--Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa. The challenge areas cover 23 miles of walking distance along with a 462 mile drive between each peak.
The challenge is open to the public and many aim to walk to the summit of the peaks within 24 hours. However, the trek is so grueling and extensive that only 40% of the individuals attempting the challenge are able to complete it within this timeframe. It is recommended that individuals desiring to complete the Three Peaks Challenge engage in strength training over a period of eight to twelve weeks. Whether Catherine engaged in strength training is unknown but she has always been quite athletic. Not only did Catherine complete the challenge--she is part of the smaller percentage of people who were able to complete it within 24 hours. Through the completion of the 2026 Three Peaks Challenge in June, the princess chose to donate funds raised from her completion to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
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It's no secret that the Princess of Wales recently endured an ordeal with cancer in recent years. By God's grace, she is now cancer free. She aimed to complete the challenge to bring awareness to the disease and to also advocate for holistic and complementary healthcare in cancer treatment. While Catherine is an individual with her own unique interests and personality, she shares many similarities with her mother in law, Diana. Princess Diana was always a champion of alternative and complementary healthcare and would regularly frequent practitioners in the field. It's clear that Princess Catherine may have chosen to combine both traditional and complementary forms of treatment in order to return to a state of good health and to increase her quality of life. It has completely worked out for her as she is better, healthier and more resilient than ever! Not only is Princess Catherine giving back to a cause that has personally affected her and other royal family members, she is also signaling that she is quite the overcomer.
She is an example to others that there is life beyond a cancer diagnosis and the Three Peaks Challenge was her chance to demonstrate this fact. Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in the world (Zafar et al., 2025). Every day 26,000 people die from cancer. Individuals affected by the disease need to be aware of all options. They need to know that conventional treatment options such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapies are not the only options that can help one to survive a cancer diagnosis. Complementary and alternative modalities such as herbs, supplements, Chinese Medicine, naturopathy and homeopathy do work and can be successfully implemented alongside conventional modes of therapy.
The 5 year cancer survival rate between individuals who choose to use one or the other actually do not differ greatly. This was substantiated by an article within Harvard Health publishing that briefly reviewed a study whose results confirmed a mere 5% difference in cancer survival rate between those who opted for either conventional OR alternative forms of cancer treatment (Shmerling, 2019). To even have an 82% 5 year survival rate from unconventional mode of treatment proves that these therapies do work and can be just as effective in treating diseases such as cancer.
Thankfully, support of the field of holistic care by public figures such as the Princess of Wales can help relay a message to others who may be unfamiliar and presently dealing with a cancer diagnosis. On social media, she expressed that, "Cancer doesn't just affect the body." "It changes how you think and feel and profoundly affects every aspect of life." "I know this personally, and that the journey through and beyond treatment requires more than medicine alone."
"Through this challenge, I want to raise awareness for the deeper impact of serious illness and the importance of holistic healthcare. Every individual is different, and ensuring there is a whole person approach to care enables those living through cancer to manage the deeply personal challenge of diagnosis. Holistic therapies complement clinical pathways and support patients' ability to maintain their wellbeing, resilience and quality of life during an exceptionally difficult time."
Presently, there is one other senior royal who has battled this deadly disease. He is the King. Not much is known where King Charles stands today with his illness or what treatment options he has sought after. It is likely that alternative and complementary options have been an option as the royal family's patronization of the field of Complementary and Alternative Medicine is extensive. See the below timeline for more information:
Royal Family History with Homeopathic and Alternative Medicine: A Comprehensive Timeline
Reference
Shmerling, R. H. (2019a, February 1). Alternative therapies for cancer - harvard health. Alternative therapies for cancer. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/alternative-therapies-for-cancer-2019020115888
Dr. Mechelle Eleene
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