Walkers stunned as they spot Princess of Wales climbing mountain in the rain

The Princess of Wales has made a personal donation to a boy with paraplegia who she described as “inspiring” after they met while climbing Britain’s highest mountain.

Catherine completed the Three Peaks challenge by scaling the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales – Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon – within 24 hours, over the weekend.

While most walkers the princess passed had no idea of her true identity, some recognised the royal after spotting the two people filming her progress.

As she ascended Ben Nevis in Scotland, Catherine came across Ted Haslam, 11, who was being pushed and carried by a team of friends and family.

Ted uses a wheelchair after being diagnosed with an aggressive spinal tumour when he was three, which left him paralysed.

His father Pete shared footage of their encounter with the royal en route to the summit.

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Catherine was descending the mountain and said to the group, “You’re not far.”

Pete told her “congratulations”, to which she replied, “Yeah, well done”.

He told the princess she was an “inspiration to us all”.

Catherine then said to the child: “How are you doing, Ted? You’re not too cold?

“Not great weather, is it? There are so many people still in their t-shirts, how are they doing that? Have you been up here before?”

When Ted told the princess it was his first time up the mountain, she remarked it was “such a shame you can’t see any of the views”, referring to the thick fog.

Ted’s team climbed Ben Nevis to raise money for children’s charity Molly Ollys Wishes, which donated play equipment during his treatment at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Days after completing the challenge, the Princess of Wales made a personal donation to a fundraising page Ted’s father had created in support of the charity, which gives toys and books to children and hospitals throughout the UK.

While the amount of her donation was kept hidden on the page, she left a message under the name “Catherine Wales”, signing it “C”.

It read: “One of the real highlights of the Three Peaks Challenge was meeting inspiring people like you along the way. Huge congratulations to the entire team for raising money for such a wonderful cause. C.”

Another walker who spoke to the princess during her challenge was Jacky Leung, who shared details of their brief encounter to his Instagram page.

He noticed who she was when he spotted her two cameramen, describing the royal as “a very lean female hiker hiking up”.

“I was speechless once I saw her and could not respond with any proper names to greet her. Just feeling so confused and so psyched at that split-second.”

Catherine was on her way up Ben Nevis, while Leung was heading back down the mountain.

“Not many people recognised Her Royal Highness as she made her way up to the top of Ben Nevis,” he said.

“My friends did not notice her passing by at all. Completing the National Three Peaks Challenge in 24 hours is a serious test of grit, and Her Royal Highness showed immense strength and spirit.

“Deepest respect to Her Royal Highness for such an incredible feat of endurance!”

Catherine completed the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for the Royal Marsden Hospital where she underwent her course of preventative chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer in early 2024.

She announced she was in remission in January 2025.

The princess had wanted to highlight the “deeper impact of serious illness” and the benefits of holistic healing alongside traditional methods.

In a video message posted before she completed the hikes, Catherine said: “I’m so grateful to be here, to be strong enough to walk these hills”.

“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.

“I have taken on the National Three Peaks Challenge, not simply as a physical endeavour but as a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back. The Royal Marsden is a place that holds great meaning for me and whose care and expertise are life changing for so many people.

“Healing, whether personal or collective, is not just about fixing what is wrong. It is about finding balance in how we live.

“Between effort and acceptance, between control and trust, between thinking and simply being. Because in the end, bravery isn’t just about pushing forward. It is about knowing how to stay grounded, connected and present, no matter the terrain, or landscape you are walking through.”

A photo of Catherine, beaming at the summit of Ben Nevis, was shared by Kensington Palace on Monday.

At the end of the challenge, the princess was met by Prince William and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis along with her parents Carole and Michael Middleton and brother, James, who met her at the base of Snowdon in Wales.

She was driven between the peaks by the Kensington Palace team.