After taking time away from public duties for most of last year while she battled back to health, 2025 has marked the start of a fresh chapter for Kate Middleton as she has eased herself back into her royal responsibilities.
Over recent weeks, the Princess of Wales has made a number of public appearances as part of her phased return following her successful treatment for cancer. And royal watchers have noted how she has made efforts to highlight the work of cancer charities – visiting wards at the Royal Marsden Hospital where she’d received chemotherapy treatment, as well as a children’s hospice in South Wales earlier this year.
And insiders say there’s a new seriousness about her work – which goes hand in hand with the recent decision by Kensington Palace to stop the practice of giving out details of the outfits the Princess is wearing on official engagements.
Kate – who has been heralded as a style icon and champion of the British fashion industry, having advocated home-grown designers such as Alexander McQueen, Jenny Packham and Alice Temperley as well as high-street brands including LK Bennett, Jigsaw and Boden – appears to have adopted a more low-key approach to her clothes at her latest engagements.
‘There is an absolute feeling that the public work is not about what the Princess is wearing. She wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting,’ a Kensington Palace spokesperson said.
‘There will always be an appreciation of what the princess is wearing from some of the public and she gets that. But do we need to be officially always saying what she is wearing? No. The style is there but it’s about the substance.’
Now insiders tell Closer that this decision was not just an effort to keep the focus on issues close to the Princess’s heart but is also part of a secret pact with her husband, Prince William, to keep the focus on the Monarchy. Our insider says, ‘Since being in remission, Kate’s made a very conscious decision to step back a bit and let the spotlight fall more onto William – taking steps to ensure she does this as subtly as possible and giving him the chance to better connect with the public as future King.
‘It’s no secret that Kate is the shining star of the Wales family and the global interest is always on her, versus the future King, which is something that’s been quietly concerning Kate too. Her decision to no longer publicise details of her wardrobe is something that’s been very much prompted by the power struggle between her and William rather than anything else.’
The Princess, 43, made her solo comeback with a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital, where she was treated, on 14 January. Kate met fellow patients to reassure them there was ‘light at the end of that tunnel’ and thanked staff for their care and support. A solo outing to Wales followed soon after, where she visited a children’s hospice and launched a new project for her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, ahead of a tour of a mother and baby unit at prison and young offender institution HMP Styal in Cheshire.
More recently, Kate joined William, 42, at a ceremony commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, in a subdued all-black outfit.
And our insider says that while she happily welcomed the attention in the past, Kate is mindful of the fact that the spotlight should be on William, as heir to the throne.
‘Kate’s incredibly aware of the attention she gets and how difficult this can be for William – especially given he’s heir to the throne,’ our source explains. ‘While William of course doesn’t blame Kate for being so popular, it’s become difficult for him to shine in the way a future monarch should.’
Kate’s health battle has also given her a different perspective. She was diagnosed with cancer after undergoing abdominal surgery in January 2024, which she described as ‘a huge shock’. She announced her chemotherapy treatment was completed in September, followed by her being in remission four months later. But the princess revealed that it would take time to ‘adjust to a new normal’.
‘I am, however, looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead,’ she said. ‘Sometimes from the outside we all think you’ve finished treatment and you go back to things. But it’s hard to get back to normal.’
Our insider explains, ‘Kate’s in a very different headspace since her cancer battle and is keen to have the pressure taken off her. Her priorities have very much changed and while she loves being front and centre of royal duty, she’s keen to loosen the reins and take off the intense pressure of maintaining this flawless image.
‘She’s hoping that it not only helps relieve any underlying power struggle between her and William which will strengthen their marriage, but that it will also have many personal benefits too as she prioritises her mental health and takes time to redefine her own identity.’