Princess Kate 'sticks to golden thread' as royal makes 'unsurprising' move

Kate has often stressed that her main focus is being a present parent alongside Prince William for her three children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.

Therefore, it is not a surprise that her key public mission promotes better conditions for parents, carers and children in their early years.

Her spokesperson previously confirmed: “It will be a golden thread throughout her working life.”

When the Princess of Wales, 42, revealed her chemotherapy was over in a video on September 9, she said she was “looking forward to undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months.”

At the time, those close to her said that she was likely to undertake a light programme of work and that she has continued working from home, taking meetings, reading up on important happenings and making calls.

Her first official meeting took place yesterday. It was recorded in the Court Circular, with the entry reading simply: “The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron, the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, this afternoon held an Early Years Meeting at Windsor Castle.”

The meeting marked Kate's first Court Circular entry in 2024. This meeting marked another significant step forward for Kate.

Since Kate confirmed she was undergoing cancer treatment in March, she has undertaken two public outings — the first to Trooping the Colour, and the second at Wimbledon alongside her daughter, Princess Charlotte, and her sister, Pippa Matthews.

In her meeting at Windsor Castle on September 17, Kate met with her key aides and those who run her Centre for Early Childhood, a branch of The Royal Foundation she shares with her husband William.

In normal circumstances, Kate holds regular meetings with her team.

Kate’s focus on the early years is a cause that has been a mainstay of her public work throughout her 13 years as a working royal.

Last year, she introduced a new campaign, Shaping Us, promoting it around the UK, including in Leeds, meeting mothers and babies.

Her reappearance in the Court Circular will be welcomed as a signal that her health is improving — but it does not mean that daily meetings will start appearing on her calendar.

In her video, Kate said that there was still some way to go: “My path to healing and full recovery is long, and I must continue to take each day as it comes."

William, 42, reiterated that message when he told well-wishers in Llanelli, Wales, on September 10 that, while Kate's progress was "good news," there was "still a long way to go."

It is known that Kate started working from home in the summer, around the time that she attended Trooping the Colour, one of her only public appearances this year.

Since then, she has been holding meetings with her senior staff, including her new private secretary Tom White, assistant private secretary Natalie Barrows and communications chief Lee Thompson.

She is hoping to attend the Remembrance Day service on November 10, taking place shortly after Prince William returns from Cape Town for the Earthshot Prize Awards. She will not be joining her husband for that trip.

Kate will then turn her attention to her annual carol concert in December.