That difference is exemplified most in Kate’s quiet determination to do things her own way from now on. Sources close to the Princess say she won’t be returning to the life she used to live for a long time – perhaps ever. ‘We are being encouraged not to look at this as a chapter that’s over and then it’s back to normal, because cancer doesn’t work like that,’ Robert Hardman, author of The Making of a King: Charles III and the Modern Monarchy told People, adding that the ‘unpredictable’ nature of the disease makes it more difficult for Kate to say definitively what she will and won’t be able to take on. As such, the Princess will most likely be strategic about what engagements she says yes to over the coming months. According to royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, ‘the important thing is she will be pacing herself. She will do what she’s able to do and pursue things she feels passionate about.’
This year, most royal fans are hoping to see Kate find even more confidence in her role. It’s been intimated that she will take on more engagements, including some overseas travel – but it’s expected that she’ll prioritise particularly important trips, and these will be taken in line with medical advice. During his recent visit to South Africa for the Earshot Awards, Prince William hinted during an interview that, after a ‘brutal year’, his wife might be up for travelling again soon. ‘I think hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year, so we’ll have some more trips maybe lined up,’ he said.
‘Last year was an exceptional year, and William stepped up into a solo global-statesman role, but going forward, I think Catherine will spend more time at his side,’ royal biographer Robert Jobson recently told HELLO! magazine. What’s most likely is that Kate will join William as and when she feels able – as Ailsa Anderson, the late Queen’s former press secretary, told People: ‘They can’t raise people’s expectations with lots of engagements only for her to face a setback, not feel well, and things are cancelled. The strategy of an unexpected visit gives her flexibility. She doesn’t have the pressure of feeling she has to turn up.’