After 9 months away from her royal responsibilities, news of Princess Catherine Middleton’s possible return has finally captured the public’s attention. For those who don’t know, the future Queen of England was diagnosed with cancer in March 2024. Since then, she’s followed her doctor’s advice and stayed out of the public eye. But now, as a loving mother of three, she’s eager to reconnect with the public, taking on more engagements and resuming her royal responsibilities. A source shared that Catherine is excited to move away from the focus on medical treatments and doctor visits.
Palace sources have provided a significant update on Prince William’s travel plans this month after their summer holiday. Despite feeling well, his wife is still on a long road to recovery, but she plans to start a light program of engagements. As such, she and her husband are expanding their team at Kensington Palace. According to royal insiders, Catherine hopes to attend the Cenotaph with her family for Remembrance Sunday and then Christmas at Sandringham. Her possible attendance would mark a significant moment, as so far there are no confirmed dates for her full return to royal duties or scheduled official engagements.
However, there is a major event coming up for the Prince of Wales that most royal watchers aren’t expecting her to attend — the Earthshot Prize Awards in November, which will be held in Cape Town, South Africa. Catherine takes great pride in connecting with people; it’s one of the most rewarding parts of her royal duties. She really misses it and is hoping doctors will clear her to resume this in the near future. However, she won’t do anything without the green light from her medical team. Unfortunately, because chemotherapy weakens the immune system, her public-facing work will take longer to resume. The narrative of “good days and bad days” is a guiding principle for her recovery.
The press reports that Katherine has spent a restful summer with William and her children at Amner Hall in Norfolk, meeting regularly with aides. Those close to the princess say there’s no expectation for her to rush back to public life. People understand it’s a long journey to recovery. A friend told the press that Katherine has continued working from her home in Windsor. Sources report that the princess will begin holding meetings with palace staff, as well as representatives from the Royal Foundation and the Centre for Early Childhood, both of which she is a patron of. A spokesperson for Katherine has also confirmed that the palace will only provide updates on face-to-face work meetings when appropriate and relevant.
Meanwhile, she continues to hold regular meetings with her team to plan the future of her royal initiatives. The Waleses are currently looking for new members of staff. Kensington Palace is searching for someone to handle their communications for engagements and projects. A posting on their website notes that the royal couple is hiring a Senior Communications Officer. The job description reads: “The successful candidate will lead communication plans for their Royal Highnesses’ engagements and support the delivery of communication strategies to promote their key projects. The role will involve responding to media inquiries on matters related to the Prince and Princess and their family. Travel between royal residences in the UK and abroad is required for the full-time role, though it will usually be based at Kensington Palace. The candidate must also handle sensitive information with tact and discretion at all times.”
Princess Catherine’s long-awaited public appearance at Trooping the Colour marked her first official engagement since Christmas Day 2023, and she looked radiant as ever. Catherine then attended the final day of Wimbledon on July 14th, where she received a standing ovation from spectators. Kensington Palace has yet to confirm her next official public engagement. However, with Prince William and Princess Catherine back from their summer break, where they spent time with their three children, it seems Catherine is gradually easing back into the public eye.
