Princess Catherine has gotten her mojo back!
Perezcious readers know the 43-year-old royal took a step back from her public duties for the majority of 2024 after she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy treatment. Thankfully, things started to look up for the Princess of Wales in the new year! Catherine announced she is cancer-free in January! And with her health scare behind her now, she has returned to work!
We’ve already seen her attend more royal engagements in 2025, either solo or with Prince William, from visiting a children’s hospice to enjoying the Six Nations Rugby competition and more. Royal fans, of course, love to see Kate Middleton out and about again. Heck, did y’all see her drinking Guinness with Irish Guards for St. Patrick’s Day? Class.
But at the same time, it’s a shock to see her doing so much already for some, especially experts. Many believed her public appearances would still be limited when she went into remission, but no! It seems Catherine’s back full-time. Even after everything she went through!
With that, there’s no denying she is the star of the royals! Royal historian Amanda Foreman told People on Wednesday:
“She is the MVP of the royal family, and no one knew when she was going to come back.”
Royal expert and biographer Ingrid Seward added:
“It takes time to feel comfortable and do things your way without always worrying.”
Yet it seems Catherine stepped back into her role with such ease and grace! Her return, however, does come with some changes! Experts have noticed a shift in how she wants the public to perceive her. A few weeks ago, reports dropped that Kensington Palace does not plan to share details about her outfits for official engagements as much as they used to! A huge disappointment for those who love to hear about the fashion! It sounds like everyone should get ready for a new era, though! The Telegraph fashion director Bethan Holt said:
“She has an inner steel about what she wants and a drive that will be reflected in what she does and what she wears.”
Meanwhile, Foreman noted that Catherine “is staying on message and is projecting this very mature image, a restrained elegance.” She’s also getting ready for her promotion to happen one day — from princess to queen! That is a lot of pressure for one to face. And according to People, she feels the responsibility of her future role more than ever before! Oof!
What’s more, she is also navigating her family with William and her own health. While we see Kate getting out more, it doesn’t mean she’s fully recovered from her ordeal! That is why the palace is super cautious these days, choosing to announce her appearances closer to the event — in case her health dictates a change in schedule. Her recovery remains the top priority. Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith explained:
“She has been very good at managing expectations, and it’s wise for her to downplay it a bit because when she does more than people anticipated, it has a greater impact. It’s evident that she is feeling closer to 100 percent than one would have thought at this stage.”
Yeah, we all saw what happens when Kate just up and leaves for weeks with no explanation! Chaos and conspiracy theories! Foreman then noted:
“She’s making her outings more meaningful in a way that had never been done before. And she’s ahead of the curve — creating the meaningful moment rather than the Instagrammable moment.”
Wow!
And by her side through everything is Prince William. Foreman expressed that “there is a sense of protectiveness and partnership” between Catherine and him, while Seward shared that the couple are ” in a different phase of their life now.” We bet her cancer diagnosis changed a lot for the Prince and Princess of Wales — possibly for the better.
One of those events we saw the pair together was the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 10. She missed the event last year due to cancer treatment — though no one knew about it at the time! Instead of feeling nervous to be back, experts say she seemed full of confidence! Seward claimed:
“Kate feels enveloped by the love people have for her — that gives her extra confidence.”
How do we know she’s feeling self-assured? Look at her ‘fit, Foreman said! For the event, she wore a bright red Catherine Walker & Co coat dress and a Gina Foster hat in the same color. Take a look (below):
That’s a rather louder look than she usually sports. According to Foreman, the bold hue is a big deal! She said:
“The color was incredibly significant: You only wear red when you’re feeling confident. And it says she’s back.”
Back and better than ever! Meanwhile, Ailsa Anderson — former press secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth II, commented:
“She looked the best I have seen her since she has been slowly resuming her royal duties. Maybe she was reflecting on where she was this time last year, where she is now and the journey she has been on.”
And for many, her public appearance at the Commonwealth Day service was a big change from the previous year when she announced her cancer diagnosis in that heartbreaking video. Bedell Smith noted:
“Everybody has an image in their mind of her looking quite wan and revealing something very personal and very worrying. Looking at her being so animated was an utter 180-degree turnaround.”
Ultimately, whenever fans get to see Catherine in public, those moments are much more appreciated now. Royal author Robert Hardman said:
“There is definitely a feeling of resetting the dial — of being back.”
Anderson also expressed:
“Fast-forward, and what a difference a year makes. She’s even more beloved in the nation’s hearts than she was.”
It’s safe to say royal watchers never want to see Catherine go into hiding again! She was clearly missed so much! Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments!
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
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