She announced in September that she’d be slowly resuming her royal duties after finally completing preventative chemotherapy treatment. And, sure enough, Kate Middleton made a sizeable comeback last weekend as she made two public appearances at Remembrance Day services – marking the first time she’s carried out commitments on two consecutive days since announcing to the world she was battling cancer in March.
The occasions may have been sombre, but Kate’s presence – both at the festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, which she attended alongside the King and Prince William, followed by the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall following day – was a triumphant image to the world that, now cancer free, her royal highness is back in business. After what has been – in Prince William’s own words – a 'brutal year' for the monarchy, the British public was delighted to have her back. Although that didn’t stop some corners of the internet from scrutinising her ‘tired-looking’ appearance…
So it’s no surprise that, behind the scenes, Kate is being urged to tread lightly – not least by her worried husband, who doesn’t want to see her take two steps forward and one step back. According to insiders, William is encouraging Kate to take things as slowly as possible, and not commit herself to too many duties and engagements while she’s still in the early stages of recovery. As much as he respects and appreciates her commitment to the job, we’re told he’s wary that she’ll do no one any favours, not least herself nor their children – Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six – if she does too much too fast. So, he’s gently encouraging her to tread lightly now so that they can leap happily into 2025 and put the pain of the past year behind them.
'Kate’s longing to get out there and make up for lost time and help as many causes and individuals as she possibly can now that she’s got her strength back,' says an insider close to the 42 year old, whose year was derailed at the off-set when, having gone into hospital for planned abdominal surgery in January, doctors found an unspecified cancer. 'She’s also anxious to pitch in and support King Charles and Queen Camilla, who’s also been poorly. It’s absolutely typical and predictable that this would happen because Kate knows no other way. William and others joke how she’s programmed to be everyone’s fairy godmother due to her ultra caring nature. But, for obvious reasons, he wants this to be put in perspective alongside her own recovery. He’s putting his foot down and urging Kate to draft a schedule that puts herself first, no excuses.'
Naturally, Kate’s conscientiousness when it comes to doing her bit is even more pressing for her, seeing as several members of the royal family have also been struggling health-wise this year. Though King Charles has been back to royal duties for a while now, he too has been fighting his own cancer battle over the past year. Meanwhile, Queen Camilla was forced to skip last weekend’s Remembrance Services due to a chest infection, before returning to public duties later in the week. With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle long gone in the US, and Prince Andrew exiled from the royal fold, it’s been mostly falling on William’s shoulders – while supported by other members of the royal family – to keep things on an even keel. Speaking from South Africa earlier this month – during his four-day trip to announce the winners of his annual Earthshot competition – the Prince of Wales gave an honest insight into just how hard the past year has been.
'It’s been dreadful,' William candidly revealed. 'It’s probably been the hardest year of my life…I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it’s been brutal.'
But while William’s words naturally weigh heavily on Kate – and make her even more determined to share the load – we’re told he’s urging her to be patient. As far as he’s concerned, taking tentative steps now means she’ll be able to take massive leaps alongside him later.
'Next year is going to be a very big year, and ideally William would love it if Kate’s able to carry out her engagements as close to normal as possible,' says our source. 'But he’s also crystal clear that her health comes first, and he’s let everyone around them know that he doesn’t want her to dive back in too quickly. He knows what a work horse Kate can be, and how badly she feels about being out of commission, so he can’t help but worry that she’ll overdo it and put her health at risk. His priority is her long-term wellbeing.'
Sadly, one element of Kate’s return to public life that William cannot prevent is the scrutiny that follows. By all accounts, the princess’s appearance across a weekend full of sombre celebrations was regal and stoic, as befitted the occasion. But that didn’t stop several commentators from weighing in, with actor Christopher Biggins remarking she looked 'tired' during a segment on GB News.
Naturally, social media poured over every inch of Kate’s face in photos, but it was GMB commentator Narinder Kaur who really rubbed salt into wounds. Taking to X, Narinder wrote: 'Genuine question – why has Kate aged so much? Isn’t she only 42? Is she a smoker? It’s the only expectation' – prompting an angry backlash from followers who pointed out that the princess has only just completed chemotherapy treatment, and also bashed Narinder’s comments as ageist, malicious and unnecessary. She duly apologised, but all the noise and scrutiny surrounding Kate’s reemergence into the spotlight was, perhaps, a sobering reminder to her and her family that she’s already vulnerable to the opinions of the masses. It’s for this reason that William, and the rest of her family, want her to be as strong as possible as she steps back into both the spotlight and the firing line.
'Her health is still fragile,' says our source. 'That’s why William has given all the aides and courtiers strict orders not to overload her. He’s urging Kate to stay focused on her steady recovery rather than putting too much on her plate. He just wants to be sure she feels supported without unnecessary pressure.'