Prince William Took up One of Princess Diana’s Passions by Opening a New Cancer Center

William serves as the president at the Royal Marsden, a title formerly held by his late mother.

Prince William is devoting his time to a cause that was important to his late mother, Princess Diana. On Thursday, the prince attended the opening of the Oak Cancer Centre at the Royal Marsden, a new treatment and research facility in the southern London suburbs.

Back in 2007, William was named president of the hospital (and its sister locations), a position that his late mother had also once held, according to People. The late Princess of Wales (the title is now held by William's wife Kate Middleton) would often visit and support the centers.

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On Thursday, the prince met with several patients, staff members, and researchers in the cancer wing of the hospital to discuss all the benefits that will come along with the new building, like earlier diagnosis, accelerated research, and innovative treatments that will "transform" the lives of patients.

William and Kate's Twitter account shared an image from the visit with the caption, "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 prince has been working for years to build this new center from the ground up. During a speech given at today's opening ceremony, William told the patients and staffers that he was "delighted" to "celebrate the opening."

"The Oak Cancer Centre is a major milestone in both The Royal Marsden’s history and the future of early diagnosis," he 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."

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