New Pic Of Kate Middleton & Her Family After Three Peaks Challenge Is Missing One Key Member

Catherine, Princess of Wales, has long been known for her enthusiasm for the outdoors. Since Catherine's 2024 cancer diagnosis, nature has played an increasingly crucial role. "She would say, 'During my recovery, I spent a lot of time in the outdoors because that's where I felt at peace,'" U.K. Chief Scout Dwayne Fields recalled to People in 2025. After Catherine finished her cancer treatment and entered remission, she kept increasing the intensity of her outdoor activities. In June 2026, Catherine took on the grueling Three Peaks Challenge to benefit the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and to demonstrate to herself how far she'd come in her recovery. After hiking 23 miles and scaling three mountains, Catherine met up with her family for a joyful reunion.  

Catherine posted a carousel of photos on Instagram as she embraced William, Prince of Wales. She also hugged and chatted with her three kids, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Along with these emotional candid photos, the group posed for a family shot that included the Waleses, along with Catherine's parents, Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton, as well as her brother, James Middleton. Surprisingly, Catherine's sister, Pippa Middleton, was not in the photo. The Middleton siblings have maintained close, connected relationships all their lives, so it's possible that Pippa had a conflict that prevented her from joining them.

This family picture seems to indicate that James Middleton might have done more than greet his sister, Catherine, Princess of Wales, at the end of the Three Peaks Challenge. A couple of visual clues are the walking stick he's holding, as well as the hiking boots he's wearing. "Two years ago, I told you we'd climb this mountain together," James explained when he posted these same family pics on his Instagram account. "We talked about climbing mountains while you were in hospital, and about the incredible healing power that nature can have for both the body and the mind. So it was such an honor to join you."

This time reference seems to point to a March 2024 post where James posted a childhood photo of himself with Catherine, both of them wearing backpacks with a mountain in the background. "Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too," he wrote at the time. This message of support was posted on the same day that Catherine revealed her cancer diagnosis in a video message.

While Pippa Middleton wasn't in the recent family photo, her tight relationship with Catherine has been evident in other ways during Catherine's cancer recovery. It's possible Catherine's siblings are playing to their strengths in the ways that they've offered support. For instance, according to author Russell Myers, Pippa helped Catherine craft the social media message where she publicly revealed her diagnosis. In contrast, James appears to be a big hiking enthusiast, so it makes sense that he was so involved with Catherine's Three Peaks excursion.