Kate Middleton Once Anonymously Donated 7 Inches of Her Hair to a Cancer Patient

She wanted to support a charity close to her heart.

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After Kate Middleton shared the news of her cancer diagnosis and her preventative chemotherapy last week, a story from 2018 involving the Princess of Wales (back then, she was still just the Duchess of Cambridge) making a heartfelt gesture to a cancer patient has been resurfaced.

According to the Mirror, during a routine hair appointment with her stylist Joey Wheeler, Kate decided to donate seven inches of her hair "to help make a realistic wig for a child who lost their hair while having treatment." She made the donation through a pseudonym so that the contribution to The Little Princess Trust wouldn't bring any attention to her, sources explained, and she was pregnant with Prince Louis at the time.

“Four months ago, Joey persuaded her it was time to take off some of her hair; he said it was just getting too long,” a royal source shared at the time. "While Joey was snipping away, the idea came to her of doing some good with it rather than throwing it away. She mentioned it to Joey, who thought it was a brilliant idea."

The source continued, saying, "It was sent using someone else's name so that the trust didn’t know it was from a royal source — they just thought it was from a female donor in the Kensington area. It's lovely to think somewhere, a little girl is happily wearing a wig made from a real princess’s hair. It's a very heartwarming thing for Kate to have done, and very thoughtful to use hair that would have otherwise just been thrown away."

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Related: Kate Middleton May "Join In" on Royal Events Amid Her Cancer Treatment

Kate has been involved with cancer charities in the past and has met with several cancer patients through her patronages. In 2021, when she organized the Hold Still photography project, she met 8-year-old Mila Sneddon, who had a photo in the exhibition. After Kate shared the news of her treatment and recovery, Sneddon shared a message to the princess through the Sunday Mail, saying, "You will be brave because I was, and you will fight it like I did."

“We were shopping when we heard the news," Mila's mother shared. "Mila turned to me and told me she wanted to make and send Kate a card. So Mila will make contact in her own private way. Kate showed Mila such compassion, care, and support both during and post-treatment. So, it's been very emotional to see she is now facing her own health struggles. Cancer is like a community and a club that no one wants to be in. We are very sad to hear she has joined the club, but the Sneddons are completely behind her, and we wish her the very best."

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