All eyes will be on her, and of course, on the sparkling tiaras and jewels she will wear with unparalleled elegance. There are signs the Princess of Wales is slowly returning to work, including some telling details that reveal a stunning new strategy.
Decking the halls at Westminster Abbey in London, England, was reportedly on the agenda when Catherine held a planning meeting on September 24th, 2024. The most obvious interpretation of this meeting is that it’s a clear sign the princess is on the road to normality after a year that has upended the monarchy. There is a strong argument to be made that the royal family has always been in the entertainment business. Typically, she is spotted at Westminster Abbey in early December to tape the concert, suggesting she could very well be there alongside Prince William and their children, as she has done in years past.
On a more promising note, ITV has cleared space for her event and has no plans to replace it with anything else. Check in weekly for any updates, as they wait to see if Catherine’s “Carols at Christmas” will finally bring some normality back to what’s been a traumatic year for the British royal family, their subjects, the Commonwealth, and the rest of the world.
It goes without saying that with this week’s news, the princess appears to be on the up and up. However, her public appearances may remain at a fraction of what they once were, with no foreseeable return to the level of visibility and real-world engagements she was known for. Aside from the most poisonous corners of Twitter, most people are eagerly awaiting her return.
Let’s consider what we actually know about the next few months for Catherine. As one of the most popular royals, she shouldn’t be rushed back into work by the House of Windsor. Although we’ve seen much less of Catherine this year, we have never had a year where she has so frequently and directly communicated with the public. In just the last six months, she has recorded two lengthy videos, commissioned a new portrait, penned an unheard-of personal statement, and posted several cause-related social media messages, often finishing with a flourish of her signature “C.”
What has become clear this year is a shift in the Prince and Princess of Wales’ energies and communication strategy. There’s an expectation that while there may still be some real-world outings in her program, her in-person engagements could decrease, with a significant rise in her social media presence. We may see more content like her cancer-related videos, as well as polished clips like the nearly two-minute video from last December, where she and her children visited a baby bank. That video highlighted a deserving organization while simultaneously enhancing the Wales brand.
Throughout her cancer battle and recovery, Catherine has carefully consulted with her doctors, and her trust in them is evident in the messages she has shared about her health. There’s a clear understanding between the palace and her team that pushing Catherine back into a regular schedule of appearances would be counterproductive.
It will be a gradual adjustment, and we mustn’t expect a full return overnight. She shouldn’t be pushed, and she certainly shouldn’t push herself just to keep people happy. Catherine will come back in her own time. She’s not out of the woods yet, and it’s important to allow her to pace herself. It’s not just about the monarchy or the United Kingdom; it’s also about her family.
