A royal insider has lifted the lid on how Princess Kate is faring as she makes a gradual return to official duties while recovering from her cancer ordeal.
Princess Catherine “is not back to normal” following her difficult cancer battle but there is “light at the end of the tunnel”, a family friend has revealed.
The remarks to People magazine this week came after Kate, 42, hosted the annual ‘Together at Christmas’ carol service on December 6 at Westminster Abbey in a sign the Princess is ready to take on bigger tasks.
However another insider told the US publication Kate is still not ready to make a full return to her previous duties.
“She won’t be going back to work in the same way for a long time,” the insider said.
Princess Catherine “is not back to normal” following her difficult cancer battle but there is “light at the end of the tunnel”, a family friend has revealed.
“You can’t go through something like that and come out the other side unchanged. She is a different person now.”
At last week’s carols event, Kate made a frank admission about her health battle as she engaged with singer Paloma Faith.
“I didn’t know this time last year it was going to be the year I’ve just had,” she said.
“But I think lots of people this year have had such challenging times, many who are here today.”
It comes amid speculation Prince William and Princess Kate are already preparing for taking on the roles of King and Queen.
The remarks to People magazine this week came after Kate, 42, hosted the annual ‘Together at Christmas’ carol service on December 6 at Westminster Abbey in a sign the Princess is ready to take on bigger tasks.
An insider also told the US publication Kate is still not ready to make a full return to her previous duties.
Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told People on Wednesday the Wales’ have had to prepare for their imminent reign “sooner than they would have expected”.
“Although the King is carrying out his duties with typical determination, he has had to accept limitations during his cancer treatment,” she said.
“As a result, William has been taking on more responsibilities, and he and Kate have been preparing for their future roles sooner than they would have expected.”
Kate has only made a few public appearances this year due to undergoing chemotherapy treatment after first revealing her cancer diagnosis in March following abdominal surgery in January.
However she is evidently taking a measured approach to resuming her engagements, which included welcoming the Emir of the State of Qatar and his wife to Buckingham Palace alongside Prince William earlier this month.
In September Kensington Palace released a major update in September in the form of a three-minute video, announcing Kate had completed her chemotherapy treatment.
In the video, Princess of Wales revealed her intentions to slowly resume royal duties.
“Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus,” she said.
She conceded her path to healing and a full recovery was long, vowing to “take each day as it comes”.
“I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can,” she said.
