Kate Middleton announces new engagement as she makes her Royal return in a big way

It’s been a tough year for Kate Middleton, who has been receiving treatment after revealing her cancer diagnosis. But it looks like the Princess of Wales is officially ready to resume some of her Royal duties. 

In all of the continuous hoopla surrounding the Royal Family, Kate Middleton’s been notably absent from the public eye for quite some time. Earlier this month, she shared the news that her chemotherapy treatment had come to an end. Moving forward, Princess Kate seems to be in high enough spirits to resume some of her royal duties, and just in time for the holidays!

Kate Middleton’s Royal return

The Princess’ announcement that she had completed her treatment was met with unparalleled joy and support. She also mentioned that she is looking forward to undertaking more public engagements and returning to work as much as she can. The public needn’t wait any longer, as the first of these post-treatment engagements has been announced– Kate Middleton will be hosting her annual Christmas concert this year!

The Princess has hosted the Together at Christmas carol concert every year since 2021, and her recovery’s come just in time to host this year’s concert. News that Middleton will be hosting the concert this year came straight from Kensington Palace, after the Princess had two meetings in the last week with royal officials at Windsor Castle. 

The Court Circular, which details the Royal family’s weekly duties, is published in newspapers in the U.K., and confirmed that the Princess held an “Early Years” meeting last week at Windsor Castle. On Tuesday, Sept. 24, she held another meeting. The purpose of the meeting was not given but the Court Circular read, “The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron, the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales, this morning held a meeting at Windsor Castle.” The Christmas Carol service has always been a means of honoring and highlighting different charities close to both the Prince and Princess. The carol service will be held in December at Westminster Abbey and televised across the U.K. on Christmas Eve.

Kate Middleton’s Health Journey

Concerns about Kate Middleton’s health began in January 2024 when it was announced that she was to undergo a planned abdominal surgery. She was scheduled to have a few weeks of recovery and apologized for being unable to attend her scheduled engagements. By the end of January, she was discharged but remained out of the public eye. 

By February, more people began to wonder where the Princess was, and the topic of her absence started trending online. The next time we heard from her was during the infamous photoshopped Mother’s Day picture debacle when she subsequently released a statement revealing that she had edited the picture. While Photoshop-gate was an unprecedented incident, people thought that the Princess was back to work, but her next statement later in March was a bombshell. 

In a heartbreaking video, the Princess shared that her surgery earlier that year had revealed some cancerous cells and that she would be undergoing chemotherapy. Support for the Prince and Princess poured in from all over the world. She announced that she would be stepping back from all royal duties over the course of her treatment, and requested privacy and support for its duration. 

In the next few months, both the Prince and Princess were absent from many public events as they moved to their family home of Anmer Hall in Norfolk to focus on the Princess’ treatment. Eventually, Prince William began making solo public appearances, although the Princess made a surprise appearance at the Wimbledon gentlemen’s final in June. 

This month, the Princess released a video announcing that she had officially completed her chemotherapy treatment. The intimate video features footage of herself, her three children George, Charlotte, and Louis, and her husband, enjoying nature, taking walks in fields, and laughing together as a family.