Kate Middleton is concluding one of the most challenging years of her life by participating in a beloved royal tradition.
On Wednesday, December 25, the Princess of Wales, 42, was accompanied by her husband Prince William, and their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, along with other members of the royal family, for the traditional Christmas Day walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate, where the family typically celebrates Christmas.
Leading the royal family’s Christmas Day walk were King Charles and Queen Camilla, as they warmly greeted the well-wishers who had gathered along the route to catch a glimpse of the royals en route to the church service.
Kate, holding hands with her youngest son, Louis, looked festive in a green Alexander McQueen coat, which she had previously worn during a visit to Leeds in January 2023. She accessorized with a matching fascinator and scarf, along with black gloves and boots.
After the service, Kate greeted members of the public who lined the route, eager to see the royal family. She beamed with a bright smile, shaking hands, accepting armfuls of flowers, and kneeling to chat with young children.
Two well-wishers shared heartfelt details of their conversations with Kate during the royal family’s Christmas outing.
John Loughrey, who had arrived in Sandringham the evening before, wore a shirt featuring photos of Kate and buttons displaying the princess’s image. He shared, “I’m on top of the world.” “I told Catherine she was an inspiration. She said thank you and complimented my badges,” he added.
Another well-wisher, 73-year-old Karen Maclean, who has battled cancer for over two decades, spoke with both Kate and King Charles.
“We just had a little talk about cancer,” she recalled, describing a warm exchange with the princess. Kate hugged Maclean, who had traveled from North Lincolnshire for the occasion.
Reflecting on her encounter with King Charles, Maclean said, “He said to me ‘I remember you,’ I thought, ‘What!?’ like many years ago?” She observed that both Kate and Charles appeared “very well, considering what they’ve been through.” After hugging Kate, she added, “What a privilege.”
This year’s holiday appearance is particularly significant for Kate after a difficult 2024, which began with a planned abdominal surgery in January. Initially thought to be for a non-cancerous condition, post-operative tests later revealed cancer.
Kate announced her diagnosis publicly on March 22 and wasn’t seen in an official capacity until June’s Trooping the Colour event, marking the official birthday of her father-in-law King Charles, who also faced a cancer diagnosis this year. The specific types and stages of cancer affecting both Kate and Charles remain private.
Kate’s cancer diagnosis has changed the course of her year, which saw her rarely participating in royal engagements. Her public appearances were limited to Trooping the Colour and a July visit to Wimbledon with daughter Charlotte and sister Pippa Middleton.
On September 9, Kate announced that she had completed chemotherapy treatment through a video message. Her return to royal duties has been gradual, with her attending events like the Southport visit with William in October and Remembrance events in November.
She also hosted her annual Together at Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey on December 6 and made her December 25 appearance at the traditional church service.
At her carol concert earlier this month, Kate expressed, “I didn’t know this year was going to be the year that I’ve just had… the unplanned.” She added, “But I think lots of people this year have had such challenging times, and many who are here today.”
In November, Prince William described 2024 as “the hardest year in my life”: “It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life… I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it’s been brutal.”
Kate’s cancer diagnosis has shifted her life both at home and in her royal work. “Life-threatening illnesses bring a reconsideration of priorities,” a source close to the royal household shared. “She and William have always made it clear that family is the most important thing.”
As 2025 approaches, Kate is “very much in control of her return to public life,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith. “She is doing what works best for her.”
A friend of the family revealed, “She is focused on herself and her family right now, rightly,” adding that she has “not fully recovered.” An insider further shared, “She won’t be going back to work in the same way for a long time.”
The same source noted, “You can’t go through something like that and come out the other side unchanged. She is a different person now.”
The path to returning to more royal duties won’t be straightforward, according to royal biographer Robert Hardman, who told, “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.
The details remain private, but there’s no sense of trying to gloss over the reality that it’s an unpredictable disease.”
Sally Bedell Smith added, “She will probably continue to be strategic about how often she appears in public, and people shouldn’t hold it against her if she does less next year. The important thing is she will pace herself. She will do what she’s able to do and pursue things she feels passionate about.”
A family friend noted, though she “is not back to normal,” there are signs of “light at the end of the tunnel.”
“She has to get back on top of it,” a source close to the royal household explained. “And she will if she is left alone to work it out for herself.”
