Kate Middleton is adopting a measured strategy as she eases back into the public eye and attends various engagements following her cancer recovery.
The Princess of Wales, 42, made an appearance at her fourth annual Christmas carol service on December 6, but she’s not in any rush to resume her full schedule of royal engagements just yet.
A palace insider told People magazine: “She is focused on herself and her family right now, rightly,”. Although the source warns that Kate has “not fully recovered,” Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary Ailsa Anderson notes, “Each time we see her, she’s looking better and better.”
Her recent public outings, including joining Prince William to receive the Amir of Qatar during his state visit to the UK on December 3, suggest a cautious and thoughtful comeback rather than an immediate plunge back into royal responsibilities.
Following her announcement in September about the conclusion of her chemotherapy, Kate has been vocal about her careful approach. “The cancer journey is complex, scary,” she expressed, acknowledging that her “path to healing and full recovery is long, and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”
An insider commented: “She won’t be going back to work in the same way for a long time.” Friends and sources indicate that Kate’s ordeal has influenced her priorities, affecting both her family life and her role within the Royal Family.
Royal author Sally Bedell Smith remarked, “She is very much in control of her return to public life. She is doing what works best for her,”. A source close to the royal household has said: “Life-threatening illnesses bring a reconsideration of priorities. She and William have always made it clear that family is the most important thing.”
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An insider added: “You can’t go through something like that and come out the other side unchanged. She is a different person now.”
Behind the scenes, plans continue to be made for their eventual succession, a reality Kate is increasingly aware of as both her and William navigate their evolving roles amid King Charles ongoing treatment of cancer.
A clear indication of their future came earlier this month, when William joined world leaders to attend the official reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on behalf of his father and met with Donald Trump.
“I asked him about his wife, and he said she’s doing well. And I asked him about his father, and his father is fighting very hard, and he loves his father, and he loves his wife, so it was sad,” Trump said after their half-hour chat.
A close source adds, “Their circumstances will eventually change. Given what the future holds, it would be very sensible to build back slowly and prioritize family time.”
During a solo trip to Cape Town for his Earthshot Prize in November, Prince William hinted that he hoped Kate would accompany him on overseas trips next year.
Bedell Smith suggests: “She will probably continue to be strategic about how often she appears in public, and people shouldn’t hold it against her if she is doing less next year. The important thing is she will be pacing herself. She will do what she’s able to do and pursue things she feels passionate about.”
Anderson adds, “She is a member of the Royal family but also a wife, mother and daughter. Don’t expect too much- she’s a person going through something horrific.”
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