Why Kate needs to put HER family, not The Family first in 2025: As the Princess stoically returns to royal duties, REBECCA ENGLISH reveals her plans for the year ahead – and why her health and children will come first
Christmas Day at Sandringham and the Prince of Wales escorts his three children back to the ‘Big House’ after church. “Let’s go, mom yaps,” he laughs as he leads Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and six-year-old Prince Louis forward.
Undeterred, the Princess of Wales, laden with armfuls of flowers and gifts, continues to chat with the enthusiastic well-wishers lining the path. “I think I lost my family,” she jokes.
Ultimately, William, now patiently waiting at the gate of the private estate, actually has to call a police officer on his cell phone to peel her away from her fans.
After what one royal insider candidly described as an “incredibly turbulent” year, it became clear how much the crowds had genuinely missed Catherine and how “grateful” – a word she used repeatedly during her celebratory walk – she is for their continued support.
As she prepares to celebrate her 43rd birthday on Thursday – quietly with family and friends (her children go back to school the day before) – the princess will have a lot to process and be grateful for.
She has, I’m told, started dropping off from school again, attending sports matches, taking the kids to dates and tennis lessons, and is even going back to the gym to build up her strength.
And it will no doubt be a comfort to know how universally popular she remains, despite her enforced absence from public life for much of the past year.
However, her ordeal of the past twelve months has also inspired Catherine (and of course William) to chart a new course, I understand, in 2025 and beyond – one that places greater emphasis on balancing the interests of their family with that of the family. .
Kate’s ordeal over the past twelve months has inspired her to chart a new course – one that places greater emphasis on balancing the interests of their family with those of their family.
That is not to say that either party is less committed to their public duties, and the number of public engagements we see from here on out will continue to slowly increase. However, the princess will no longer go to work in the same way as before, insiders say.
To understand why events have prompted a subtle but important adjustment in thinking, it is important to think back to this time last year.
Exactly a week after her birthday, to great public shock, Catherine was admitted to hospital for what was only officially described as a ‘planned abdominal operation’.
While it is true that her two-week stay in hospital was not the result of her being rushed to the London Clinic as an emergency, no one should underestimate the severity of her surgery, which would have required many months of recovery , so I was told. .
Although she had been told that her condition was not cancer, as we now know, doctors later discovered that the disease was actually present.
As a result, the princess was advised to undergo preventive chemotherapy as soon as she was strong enough.
Catherine has been admirably open about the effect it has had on her, speaking of the “complex, frightening and unpredictable” nature of her treatment and, above all, her and William’s desperation to find a way to to protect their children as much as possible.
“It’s impossible to experience such trauma and not be changed as a person,” friends agree.
And while the Princess may be in a significantly more privileged position than many cancer patients in terms of her care and financial security, a well-placed source points out:
The Royal Family at Trooping The Color last June. Kate is still expected to attend royal events like this in 2025
The Princess of Wales has returned to attending school, attending sporting events, taking the kids to dates and tennis lessons and even going back to the gym to build up her strength
‘There is no hierarchy when it comes to the sheer fear of being told you have cancer, especially when you have a young family to protect.’
That it happened at a time when the king was undergoing his own cancer treatment made the situation all the more challenging for the couple.
Fortunately, the monarch’s condition was caught early and although his treatment is still ongoing, doctors are incredibly happy with his progress. But in those early, uncertain days, the Prince and Princess were also forced to consider the possibility of taking the throne much sooner than expected, which would have enormous consequences for them as a family.
All of this is why, even as she makes great progress in her recovery, we shouldn’t expect the princess to return to full-time royal duties anytime soon, I’ve been told by several insiders.
A royal source confirmed: ‘There is no big reset button that will be pressed in January.
‘What we will actually see is a slow continuation of the Princess balancing her recovery and her public duties, as she outlined in September. [when she warned her recovery was still ongoing despite having completed her chemotherapy].
“Cancer affects your perspective, and what you’ve seen in the decisions they’ve made over the past year is that the family and their children are still at the center of their universe. Both Their Royal Highnesses have a strong commitment to duty, service and using their platform for good.
‘But what they are working on are ways in which they can balance themselves as parents with being prince and princess of Wales.’
So how will this take shape?
In the Princess’s case, aside from a slow return to full-time public duties, there are – yet – no plans for a full-scale foreign royal tour – although it is not denied that she may join her husband on a short trip, should that be the case. be a case. she’s looking forward to it.
For his part, William will make a “handful” of solo foreign visits in the coming months, another sign of Catherine’s progress.
Notably, however, they will likely be shorter visits of two or three days (until his next big Earthshot event in South America in November), especially compared to the long tours of old.
“Everyone is turning the switch,” a source explains, meaning the Waleses will aim to avoid being away from home for long periods of time.
As for Catherine, her ‘early years’ work – her campaign to promote the importance of the first five years of a child’s development – is still her ‘first’ priority and will remain a key theme in everything she does .
Prince William will make a “handful” of solo foreign visits in the coming months, another sign of Kate’s progress
While we may not see her in public as often as before in the near future, there is no doubt that she is still very involved behind the scenes and working on long-term projects.
“She continues to work closely with her team at Kensington Palace and the Center for Early Childhood,” the source added.
She is also expected to attend important royal events such as Trooping The Color and The Cenotaph, as she did last year, for example.
“It’s about the pace,” the source added. “I think she would also prefer to confirm only when she is sure she can attend events, rather than get someone’s hopes up and then have to back out.”
This approach is also partly due to the unconstructive and sometimes downright cruel social media and public commentary surrounding her illness in the first half of last year, when, in the words of one insider, “the world just went crazy.” It made the couple more upset – and angry – than many realize.
And it has made them even more determined to continue telling ‘their story on their own terms’.
As a result, they have massively strengthened their in-house media team, adding in-house videographers and photographers as well as freelance filmmakers like Will Warr (who made the much-discussed family video released in September).
It has also strengthened the princess’s determination not to let gossip and speculation disrupt her recovery. This is especially in view of her much-discussed Mother’s Day photo of her with her three children, which sparked a slew of conspiracy theories after a number of photo agencies withdrew the photo amid concerns over what were ill-advised but largely harmless edits to the photo. image.
In a statement, Catherine later admitted to having carried it out: ‘Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally experiment with montage.’
Someone who knows her well says, “She will do what is right for her, and especially her family, every time, no matter what anyone says. She is calm and determined.”
However, sources are at pains to make it clear that her recovery is on a strong upward trend and that everyone is hoping for ‘much more normality’ in 2025.
“I think everyone who saw her at the carol service last month, which was a lovely bookend to what has been a terribly difficult year, was so happy to see her back and see for themselves how much better she was,” the source added to. .
‘It was clear that she was also happy to be doing the things she loves again. She is determined to make what she does count.”
Another positive sign is the release of their first royal warrants, I understand. Warrants are a token of goods and services for a senior member of the Royal Family and are highly coveted as a mark of excellence, providing a significant trading advantage on the British and global stage.
Only senior royals are allowed to award these, and there has been much debate over whether the new Prince and Princess of Wales would follow suit, not least because of any association with Catherine – who has proven to be one of the most powerful influencers in the world to be. (although not one who ever personally benefits from it) – would provide beneficiaries with unparalleled cachet.
I am now told that the Prince and Princess hope to announce their first coveted award of personal patronage, although no date has yet been set for this.
The message for the coming year therefore seems to be ‘more but measured’ – and entirely on Catherine’s terms.
“Considering where she was this time last year, she’s in a much, much better place,” concludes someone who knows her well.
“As Catherine herself said, she looks to the future with hope and a new appreciation for life.
‘However, she has also had little choice but to take a step back and focus on herself, which has inevitably led to her reassessing where their priorities lie.
‘I think – and hope – as we saw at Christmas, that people are happy that she can continue her recovery at her own pace.
“And we’re all looking forward to seeing her again, but only when the time is right.”