"I am personally delighted to be with you today to lay the foundation stone of the Oak Centre, 30 years after my mother did the very same thing at The Royal Marsden in Chelsea, commemorating the building of the Chelsea Wing," he said in his speech at the event.
Wearing a face mask due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, he met with a handful of people who were being treated at the facility and undergoing clinical trials. He referenced their experiences in further remarks in his speech.
"[This facility] will represent a new generation of research-led patient treatment and care. It will bring together some of the world's best minds to develop new treatments to save and improve the lives of cancer patients throughout the U.K. and around the world."
The expanded cancer center is scheduled to open in 2022.
William serves as the figurative President of the Royal Marsden and has made multiple visits there over the years. Back in 2005, for example, he spent two days working at the hospital, and in 2019, he dressed in scrubs so he could observe operations taking place there using robotic surgical technology.
Over the years, William has raised $80 million for the hospital, which is $10 million short of its goal required to complete the expansion. The duke intends to help raise that money.
