1 Big Sign Kate Middleton’s Been ‘Thinking’ About Returning to Royal Duties for a While
When is Kate Middleton returning to royal duties? It’s a question that’s been asked many times during her recovery from abdominal surgery. While no official date is set (more on that ahead), the Princess of Wales has hinted he’ss spent months thinking about her eventual return.
Kate has a new private secretary
Kate has a new person on her staff. After more than a year without a private secretary she’s hired Lieutenant Colonel Tom White to fill the role. According to People, White started his new job at the end of February 2024.
This means Kate very well could’ve discussed the details of White’s addition during her nearly two-week hospital stay. Or, at least in the weeks leading up to the surgery.
The Afghanistan veteran is no stranger to working for the royal family. He reportedly began working at Buckingham Palace in 2020 following a stint in the Royal Marines. Perhaps most notably, as far as his royal resume goes, White once worked as the late Queen Elizabeth II’s equerry.
White has worked, albeit briefly, with Kate in the past. In November 2023, he attended Kate’s Shaping Us National Symposium.
Hiring a new private secretary suggests Kate’s thinking about the ‘future’
“The arrival of Tom means the princess is likely to be thinking about her eventual return to work and future plans,” a source told Hello! Magazine.
“The Princess is obviously doing her best behind the scenes to get fit and healthy so she is ready to face the publicity which will surround her return to public engagements after Easter,” Ingrid Seward, a royal expert and editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, said (via The Sun).
“She has hired a new private secretary in the shape of dashing former equerry to the late Queen, Lieutenant Colonel Tom White. He will be helping move forward her pet project to get big business to help support the early childhood [work] she considers so important.”
Furthermore, Seward said Kate’s “no slouch.” So, while watching “guilty pleasure” TV shows may have become a staple in her daily life these past few months, work’s still something she’s likely thought about often.
“She had no intention of allowing her dreams of helping young children to suffer just because she was in recovery after her abdominal operation,” she said.
“Kate is distraught she has had to cancel so many things since her operation and is determined she will soon be back in control, better than ever.”
Trooping the Colour was previously thought to mark Kate’s return to work
The question of Kate’s return to royal duties was, if only for a short while, thought to have been answered. The British Army listed Kate as the royal who’d be inspecting soldiers at Trooping the Colour.
Meaning she’d be out and about in June 2024 making her first public appearance after surgery at the celebration.
However, the British Army soon removed her name from their website. This means her return date is, once again, back to to-be-announced status.
