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2025 has already been a busy year for Kate Middleton and Prince William, but the royal couple is upping the ante with a surprising change to how they go about royal duties. Due to Middleton’s treatment and recovery from cancer, the Prince and Princess of Wales were hesitant to announce any public-facing engagements ahead of time, forcing the postponement of pre-scheduled events. As a result, many of the pair’s royal duties were not announced or planned at all, to avoid disappointment in the event Middleton needed to cancel for health reasons.
That’s why we were surprised by royal outings like Middleton’s visit to the Royal Marsden hospital and her participation in a recent Holocaust memorial ceremony since details of these engagements were not given to the press beforehand. Now, however, in a move that one expert says is representative of their newfound confidence, Kensington Palace has begun announcing the royal couple’s scheduled events ahead of time.
The change in proceedings began with the palace’s press release earlier this month, which revealed that the Prince and Princess of Wales would be making a joint trip to Pontypridd, Wales on Feb. 26. According to royal historian Jessica Storoschuk (via Marie Claire), this new procedure represents a return to form, especially for Middleton, as it means the couple are less concerned about engagements being disrupted by health concerns.
“Understandably, they have been hesitant in the last year to confirm any engagements should they need to adapt,” Storoschuk said of the pair’s previous hesitance to announce appearances. She went on to say that the decision to announce their upcoming trip to Wales is a “clear step forward” and “signals a new chapter for the couple.” That’s because “it shows their confidence that they will not need to cancel or postpone due to health issues,” Storoschuk said.
As for the details of the trip, we know that the Prince and Princess will visit Wales ahead of the country’s national holiday of St. David’s Day, which falls on March 1. According to the palace’s press release, the Waleses “will spend time with members of the local community,” and will speak with residents impacted by the floods of Storm Bert and Storm Darragh, which hit the region in December.
THE Prince and Princess of Wales will visit Pontypridd next week ahead of St David’s Day.
Princess Kate, who is continuing with her gradual return to public duties since completing her cancer treatment, will join Prince William on the visit next Wednesday, February 26.
The couple… pic.twitter.com/VFh04XUs2s— ꧁𝓚𝓪𝓽𝓮꧂ (@CollieMom2007) February 21, 2025
While the change in procedure means we will be aware of more upcoming royal engagements, there was one recent event that the couple skipped. The Prince and Princess were notably absent from this year’s BAFTAs ceremony, even though William is the President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. William did appear in the form of a video message to present the Rising Star Award, but he and Middleton did not appear in person.
That’s because they were on a trip to the Caribbean island of Mustique, and were accompanied by their three children George, Charlotte, and Louis. A beach-bound vacation sounds great right about now — but then again, so does being a royal.