Princess Catherine Was Just Given a Brand-New Patronage and She Excitedly Promoted It on Instagram

As a royal, Kate Middleton has a number of important roles. Not only is she now officially the Princess of Wales, but the 40-year-old is also Patron of the Rugby Football League, Patron of the Royal Photographic Society and so much more. And earlier this week, Princess Catherine announced that she is taking on an exciting new patronage.

“Proudly supporting @polarpreet’s extraordinary challenge to become the first woman to cross Antarctica solo and unsupported,” the royal—who is now Patron of the expedition—wrote on Instagram.

Preet Chandi, who the princess tagged in her post, is a record-breaking physiotherapist and British Army medical officer, who became the first woman of color to complete a solo trip to the South Pole this past January.

Now, Chandi is taking on an even greater challenge, in the hopes of becoming the first woman to cross Antarctica solo and unsupported, on a course that would total up to over 1,000 miles.

The expeditioner shared her plan on Instagram back in June, where she wrote, “My aim is to complete a solo and unsupported crossing of Antarctica. This involves me travelling over 1000 miles, pulling a pulk (sledge) with all of my kit, battling temperatures of up to -50c and wind speeds of up to 60mph. This journey will take approximately 75 days. This expedition will make me the first female to complete a solo and unsupported crossing of the continent.”

While discussing her process for applying to the Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE) in order to be approved for the journey, Chandi explained her reasoning for making the trek. “Why did I go to Antarctica in the first place and why am I going back?” Chandi wrote. “I wanted to show that no matter where we are from, no matter what we look like, we can achieve anything we want. I want to inspire others to push their boundaries and encourage them to believe in themselves. I want to break that glass ceiling!”

Princess Catherine, who certainly has her own appreciation for nature, held a call with Chandi on Tuesday, October 25, according to Hello! magazine. During the call, the royal sent Chandi her well-wishes.

Chandi also showed her gratitude for the princess's support on Instagram, where she shared the news of the patronage and said, “Thank you so much for your support. Feeling very grateful to have The Princess of Wales as Patron for the expedition.”

Followers cheered the physiotherapist on in the comments, like one user who said, “So excited for your journey. The princess is the perfect patron for this.” Another wrote, “Wow! That's an endorsement.”

What a worthy cause for Catherine to support. Best of luck on your journey, Preet!

Stay up-to-date on every breaking royal family story by subscribing here.