Kate Middleton's Newly-Revealed Rule With Royals Foreshadowed Her Public Absence

We know that marrying into the royal family means inheriting quite a few rules. Apparently, though, Catherine, Princess of Wales, brought some rules of her own to the table. And, those rules may give us a clue about why she's spending so much time out of the public eye these days.

In January 2024, Kate Middleton disappeared from the spotlight for six months. She has since made two public appearances — at Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon. Since then, though, she is apparently done with public life for the remainder of the summer, as she is undergoing cancer treatment. When announcing her diagnosis in March, Kate was clear about prioritizing her three children over the public during her recovery. She explained, "Most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to [Prince] George, [Princess] Charlotte, and [Prince] Louis in a way that's appropriate for them and to reassure them that I'm going to be okay," per Instagram.

In his new book, "Catherine, the Princess of Wales," royal expert Robert Jobson explained that in 2015, while pregnant with her and William's second child, Princess Charlotte, Kate was clear with the late Queen Elizabeth II about her "terms." Jobson wrote, "[Kate] established some fundamental life rules that she would stick to when she joined The Firm," adding, "She was clear from the outset that she would not be pigeon-holed into carrying out particular duties ... her priority, she emphasized, would always be her family."

Kate Middleton often seems like the picture-perfect partner to the heir to the throne. According to Robert Jobson, though, that doesn't mean that she always sacrifices her principles to fit in with the monarchy's ideals. Jobson wrote, "She's got a steely core, and that enables her to say what she believes. She's not afraid of giving her input, and she influences a lot of people that make the decisions."

According to Jobson, "The royal couple will, of course, carry out their fair share of royal duties, but they both believe that being good parents is their most important role." He also believes that this is likely to continue in the future. "Yes, she will do her duty and support the crown," Jobson explained, but with three children 11 years old and younger, it's no surprise that parenting takes precedence over her royal duties. Back in early June, a source close to the royals told Us Weekly that Kate and those who she works with were "reevaluating what she's going to be able to take on when she comes back" and added that "She may never come back in the role that people saw her in before." Learning that Kate's royal duties were always meant to take a backseat to her kids makes this seem even more likely.