In Rare Announcement, Kensington Palace Changes Stance on Princess Kate’s Royal Duties

The Prince and Princess of Wales are marking "a new chapter," one royal expert tells 'Marie Claire.'

Kate Middleton wearing a brown coat and burgundy polka dot dress smiling with green trees behind her
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In 2024, Princess Kate largely stayed out of the public eye as she was treated for cancer. Aside from attending a few major events like Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon, the Princess of Wales wasn't seen until autumn after she announced she'd finished chemotherapy. While Kensington Palace has been sending press releases about her royal visits this year, they made a change to their usual procedure on Thursday, Feb. 20.

Until now, any news on the Princess of Wales's 2025 duties has been strictly embargoed—and in the cases of her visit to the Royal Marsden hospital and her participation in a Holocaust memorial ceremony, Kate's appearances weren't announced ahead of time at all. But on Thursday, the palace sent out a press release stating that the Prince and Princess of Wales would be making a joint trip to Pontypridd, Wales on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

"Understandably, they have been hesitant in the last year to confirm any engagements should they need to adapt, but this is a clear step forward," royal historian Jessica Storoschuk tells Marie Claire of Thursday's news.

"William and Catherine's announcement of their upcoming trip to Wales without a press embargo is certainly signaling a new chapter for the couple, as it shows their confidence that they will not need to cancel or postpone due to health issues," the An Historian About Town blogger continues.

Kate Middleton wearing a maroon coat and hat and smiling standing next to Prince William wearing a blue coat and red tie

Princess Kate, seen during the Qatari state visit in 2024, took on a small number of duties last year due to her health.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kate Middleton wearing a black and white plaid dress and long white coat walking along a sidewalk

The princess has been carrying out more regular royal engagements this year.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

William and Kate's visit is timed ahead of Welsh national holiday St. David's Day, which falls on March 1, and according to the palace, William and Kate "will spend time with members of the local community."

The area was hit hard by flooding as a result of Storm Bert and Storm Darragh in December 2024, and the Waleses will speak with residents who were impacted by the floods.

Their trip to Wales will mark the first royal engagement since the couple skipped the 2025 BAFTAs to head to Mustique with their three children. Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, are enjoying their half-term school holiday at the ultra-private destination frequented by a number of celebs.

With Mustique offering everything from world-class scuba diving to a waterfront bar, it sounds like William and Kate will be showing up to Wales with a tan.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

Read more
Kate Middleton wearing a red headband and coat with her hair blowing in the breeze on Commonwealth Day 2025
Kate Middleton Has a "Big Job" to Tackle Behind the Scenes on Top of Busy Spring Season
Kate Middleton has long brown hair and smiles while wearing a tartan coat and red sweater
Princess Kate Might Miss an Important Family Milestone Involving Sister Pippa Middleton
Kate Middleton wearing a red coat and yellow daffodil looking to the right walking outside next to Prince William, also looking at the same thing and wearing a daffodil on his blazer
Kate Middleton's Meaningful Outfit Is a Love Letter to Wales
Princess Kate wearing a pink sequined gown and a tiara standing next to Prince William and The King wearing tuxedos
Kate Middleton Is Confirmed to Make a Major New Royal Appearance With King Charles and Queen Camilla
Kate Middleton has long wavy brunette hair and is wearing a royal blue suit
Princess Kate Isn't Always "Well Enough" for Royal Duties, but She's Learning to "Pace" Herself
Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales with Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales attend the Christmas Morning Service at St Mary Magdalene Church on December 25, 2024 in Sandringham, Norfolk.
Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Working to "Balance Themselves as Parents With Being the Prince and Princess of Wales\201d
Latest in Royals
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Queen Camilla has blonde hair and is wearing a dark green shirt dress
Why Queen Camilla Has Been Issued a "Strict" Warning Regarding Her Meeting With the Pope
Meghan Markle wears blue denim jeans
Meghan Markle Confirms Skinny Jeans Are Back by Finally Revealing Her Favorite Frame Denim
Carole Middleton has blonde hair and laughs while shopping with daughter Kate Middleton
How Carole Middleton Might Step Up to Support Princess Kate Following Previous Controversies
Meghan Markle wears a white shirt and blue jeans while she carries daughter Princess Lilibet and hugs son Prince Archie
New Prince Archie Photo Proves He Takes After Dad Prince Harry in Two Very Important Ways
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023 in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Meghan Markle Shared a Rare Video Filmed by Prince Harry on Instagram
Latest in News
Bella Hadid carries the Coach empire bag in New York City with a black mini dress
Bella Hadid Secures Coach's Must-Have Empire Bag, Just Like I Predicted She Would
Selena Gomez wears a cropped blazer and matching trousers while attending the Drew Barrymore show in New York City
Selena Gomez Is the Cropped Blazer Trend's Final Boss
Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing a tiara featuring emeralds
Why Princess Madeleine of Sweden Can't Use Her Royal Title to Promote Her New Skincare Line
Rihanna in a head scarf and multiple necklaces
Rihanna’s Jamaica Manicure Will Unite the Caribbean
Queen Camilla has blonde hair and is wearing a dark green shirt dress
Why Queen Camilla Has Been Issued a "Strict" Warning Regarding Her Meeting With the Pope
Benny Blanco in a purple shirt with a white tank top underneath and Selena Gomez in a black dress backstage at The Tonight Show in March 2025
Selena Gomez Says She’s "Excited" to Become a Mom Someday in Joint Interview with Benny Blanco