Kate Middleton spent the better part of 2024 recovering from an undisclosed type of cancer. The Princess of Wales kept out of the public eye save for a series of staggered royal family engagements. However, the palace made a return to public life in 2025 “very clear.” This led a royal expert to claim the decision won’t be exactly what the public wanted.
What will 2025 bring for Kate Middleton after cancer recovery?
GB News quoted royal expert Gareth Russell, who spoke about Kate Middleton’s health journey. He called it a “great reminder to us all.”
Russell said, “The royal households have been very clear that a return to public life by the Princess of Wales will be staggered. It’s a great reminder to all of us that a process of recovery can come in fits and starts, and also that there’ll be events that she can make and events that she can’t, and that for anyone going through that kind of treatment, there’ll be events that they might have to miss.”
He concluded, “Certainly, for someone like the Princess of Wales with three young children, there’ll be events that she just won’t be able to make in the short term. But we hope to see a long-term return to public duty.”
Prince William said Kate Middleton’s health crisis was ‘brutal
While visiting Cape Town, South Africa in November 2024, Prince William shared with reporters Kate Middleton’s plans for 2025.
“It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life,” William said of the 12-month period where his wife and father, King Charles, were both diagnosed with cancer.
“So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult,” William continued. “But 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, yeah, it’s been brutal.”
He concluded, “It’s more a case of just crack on and you’ve got to keep going,” he added. “I enjoy my work. I enjoy pacing myself and keeping sure that I have got time for my family, too” (via BBC).
The Princess of Wales remains hopeful for the future
In a September 2024 Instagram post, Kate Middleton shared her hopes for the future. Her remarks accompanied a video of the Prince and Princess of Wales with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and their dog Orla.
She called her cancer journey “complex, scary, and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything.”
Kate said that her 2024 health journey reminded her and William to “reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved.
She added that she remains diligent in doing what she can to stay cancer-free. Kate called her path to healing and full recovery “long” and said she plans to take each day as it comes.
What that means for returning to frontline work as a senior royal in 2025 is to be determined. Kate Middleton’s 2025 royal schedule of appearances has yet to be released by the palace.
