PRINCE WILLIAM FOLLOWS IN MOM PRINCESS DIANA'S FOOTSTEPS TO OPEN NEW CANCER CENTER

The Prince of Wales was "delighted" to open the new center as president of the Royal Marsden Hospital, a position previously held by his late mother

Prince William is back supporting a cause close to the heart of his late mother, Princess Diana.

The Prince of Wales, 40, stepped out on Thursday to open a new cancer research and treatment center, saying the state-of-the-art Oak Cancer Centre at the Royal Marsden in Sutton in the southern suburbs of London would help "transform" the life and care of patients.

Prince William became president of the hospital and its sister centers in 2007, following in the footsteps of Diana, Princess of Wales, who also supported the facility and frequently made visits.

Last year, William made a poignant trip to the Royal Marsden Hospital's central London center to meet with nurses and staff who helped care for "brave and inspirational" BBC host Dame Deborah James, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 and campaigned for millions of pounds of funds under the name Bowelbabe.

On Thursday morning, it was Prince William's chance to see how future care would take place, as he visited a branch of the hospital that is designed to help accelerate the development of new treatments and enable clinicians to diagnose more cancers at an earlier stage.

Rolling up his shirt sleeves (as is customary in hospital settings), he spent time with some of the first patients and was told about the difference the new building will make to them. He also met some of the hospital's leading researchers, who will carry out their innovative research in the Kuok Research Centre.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

In a message shared to Prince William's Twitter page, his office wrote, "After many years of hard work by @royalmarsdenNHS and @royalmarsden, it was brilliant to see the Oak Cancer Centre open its doors today. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in making this incredible Centre a reality. The new state of the art research and treatment facility will bring patients and researchers together under one roof to deliver the best possible care and outcomes for cancer patients not just at The Royal Marsden but around the world."

It's been almost three years since Prince William laid the foundation stone for the Oak Cancer Centre, part of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust that specializes in cancer diagnosis, treatment, research and education in two central London venues and in the Sutton center William visited.

In a speech, the royal said he was "delighted" to be there "to celebrate the opening of a remarkable treatment and research facility, that will transform the lives of cancer patients."

"The Oak Cancer Centre is a major milestone in both The Royal Marsden’s history and the future of early diagnosis," Prince William said. "I was delighted to launch the appeal for this facility eight years ago and lay the foundation stone in 2020, so I am incredibly proud to be standing here with you all today in this beautiful building."

He said the center would deliver “truly integrated ‘bench to bedside’ studies that will speed up the development and translation of new personalized treatments — not just for Royal Marsden patients here, but for cancer patients worldwide.”

He praised the leadership and fundraisers and the support of many generous individuals from across the world, who “helped to make this transformational building a reality. It is this deep-rooted history of philanthropic giving that enables The Royal Marsden to continue their extraordinary efforts to transform the lives of cancer patients.”

Prince William's visit to the care center came a day after it emerged that he and his wife, Kate Middleton, pitched in to help a food bank in Swansea, Wales, after food and toys were taken in a break-in.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.

2023-06-08T13:29:12Z dg43tfdfdgfd