Princess Catherine Shares Rare Look Into Family Life — Photos

The Princess of Wales marked one week since completing the National Three Peaks Challenge with a heartfelt Instagram post, sharing new intimate family photos from the milestone hike, taken in support of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Princess Catherine is letting fans further into a deeply personal chapter of her life. A week after revealing she'd secretly conquered Britain's three tallest peaks, the royal returned to social media with a moving glimpse behind the scenes.

The Princess of Wales, 44, took to Instagram on Sunday, July 5, to share a carousel of photos exactly one week after she revealed that she had secretly completed the National Three Peaks Challenge.

A former cancer patient herself, Catherine took on the challenge, which entailed hiking Britain's three tallest peaks in England, Scotland, and Wales, to help raise funds for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

"This time last week, completing the National Three Peaks Challenge. A huge thank you to everybody who has supported The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity," the senior royal captioned the post.

The message was accompanied by a series of never-before-seen, intimate family photos taken after she descended the final summit. The opening image was a tender snap showing her embracing her husband, Prince William, 44.

The Prince of Wales was joined by their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8. For the occasion, Catherine was dressed for the outdoors in a fitted navy or black short-sleeve top, paired with red athletic shorts.

She rounded out the look with red socks pulled up and brown lace-up hiking boots, her hair swept into a ponytail and tucked under a baseball cap. She also carried a dark, utilitarian-style backpack with straps across her chest, along with what appeared to be a fitness tracker on her wrist.

In one image, Catherine is captured sharing a laugh with her daughter, Charlotte. In another, the doting mom of three pulls her in for a hug, while additional photos show her cheerfully chatting with the rest of her family.

One image captured her looking visibly emotional as she placed a hand on the shoulder of her eldest child, George.

The final photo was the icing on top: Catherine stood front and center, flanked by her husband, children, and her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, as well as her brother James — all of whom were there to help her celebrate the milestone.

Catherine had initially shared a photo of herself in full hiking gear at the summit of Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Scotland, on social media on June 28. She accompanied the photo with a message reflecting on the realities of navigating a cancer diagnosis and her decision to complete the hiking challenge.

"Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in this country hear the words no one wants to hear," she began. "What follows is a path that tests every part of who we are: physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually."

"The challenges ripple outwards, touching families, friendships, work and the quiet moments we spend alone with our thoughts," she wrote, adding that cancer not only affects the body, but it also "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," the princess said. "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," she added. "Through this challenge, I want to raise awareness for the deeper impact of serious illness and the importance of holistic healthcare."