Kate Middleton Might Not Return to Public Duties for ‘Some Time’

Princess Kate Middleton will reportedly prolong her hiatus from public engagements amid her cancer battle.

“Kate is expected to be away from public duties for some time,” the Times of London reported on Friday, May 3, noting that Kate, 42, could later be “keen” to attend events “when she feels able to.”

The Princess of Wales underwent an abdominal surgery in January, during which doctors found cancerous tissue. Kate publicly confirmed her diagnosis in March.

“My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I’m now in the early stages of that treatment,” Kate said in a video released via Kensington Palace on March 22. “This, of course, came as a huge shock, and [Prince] William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”

She added at the time, “I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirit. Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too, as is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you.”

Kate and William, 41, share three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. They waited to publicly disclose her diagnosis until they had a chance to first inform their kids. In her March video, Kate announced that she would resume her public-facing duties when her doctors medically clear her to do so.

William, meanwhile, briefly took a step back from his duties after Kate’s announcement. He has since returned to work with the Times reporting that he is continuing “with his own public engagements [as Kate] recuperates.”

The Prince of Wales recently attended the opening of James’ Place Newcastle, a local suicide prevention center for men, on Tuesday, April 30. During the walkabout, he gave a brief update on Kate and their family.

“All doing well, thank you,” William told onlookers. “Yes, we’re doing well.”

In addition to his appearances, William has been filling in for father King Charles III. The reigning monarch announced in February that he is also undergoing treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer.

Charles, 75, had briefly halted his public duties save for a few Buckingham Palace audiences and weekend church services. Tuesday marked his first official engagement, visiting a local cancer treatment center with wife Queen Camilla.