Kate Middleton Spokesperson Makes Concerning U-Turn Describing Her Recovery Timeline

Ever since Catherine, Princess of Wales revealed her cancer diagnosis in March 2024, she has reportedly been receiving treatment and keeping away from the public eye. The princess hasn't been involved in any public engagements since 2023, so news that she has been briefed regarding a new report from Her Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood may inspire excitement that she is making her return to the public. Unfortunately, according to Kensington Palace, this doesn't mean that we'll be seeing Kate anytime soon. 

News of Kate's involvement in a project comes just short of a month after King Charles III announced that he's resuming public engagements amidst his own cancer recovery. Yet, per BBC, a spokesman for Kensington Palace noted, "The princess is not expected to return to work until it's cleared by her medical team." Furthermore, a royal aide told the Daily Mail that the palace has "been really clear that she needs the space and the privacy to recover right now. She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors." While the palace isn't sharing any specific news on Kate's health, it's clear that there hasn't been enough improvement for her to go full-speed ahead back into public engagements like her father-in-law. Still, there does seem to be a bit of good news here; Kate is tending to some projects behind the scenes.

While fans may be saddened to hear that Kate Middleton isn't returning to the public eye for now, there does seem to be some hope for the future of the princess' work. Focus on childhood development has been vital to Kate's public service, and this particular study aligns perfectly with her passion. It focuses on the ripple effects of investing in children's development at a young age and how this can improve the economy. According to the palace, "The work of The Prince and Princess' projects is 'always on' ... early childhood is a huge priority for The Princess and so she has been kept fully updated throughout the development of the Taskforce's work and she has seen the report," per Daily Mail. A royal aide also spoke about the princess' future work, saying, "This is a clear commitment she has made that throughout her life of public service that this will be focus. That will continue when she returns to work."

This update comes just days after the Prince and Princess of Wales' joint Kensington Royal account on X, formerly known as Twitter, made a post for Mental Health Awareness Week. They shared a short film that was reportedly created by the couple together. So, while the princess is still recovering privately, she clearly has enough bandwidth to focus on some ventures that will inform her work when she is finally ready to fully return.