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This is getting increasingly bizarre. Around the Princess of Wales’s “state of Kate” briefings around her 43rd birthday, we were told endlessly that Kate must take it easy, that no one should expect her to go back to work, that everything around Kate and her health is so delicate. Then she made an appearance at the Royal Marsden Hospital last Tuesday, timed specifically to try to steal the Duchess of Sussex’s thunder, given Meghan’s Netflix show was originally planned for release the next day. After Kate said weird things at the hospital, a quick cleanup was ordered and we were once again told that no one should expect anything more from her for a while, that Kate’s “new normal” was little-to-no work for the foreseeable future. As it turns out, the birthday briefings happened while Kate was on vacation in Switzerland, and her visit to the hospital happened soon after she returned from her ski jaunt.
The Princess of Wales has taken another step on her road to recovery from cancer by enjoying a ski holiday over the New Year. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Kate – along with Prince William and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – enjoyed a quiet break in the Alps just over two weeks ago.
They are said to have slipped away from their home at Anmer on the Sandringham estate shortly after Christmas, and spent several days away, along with members of the Middleton family. The couple and their children were spotted enjoying morning hot drinks at a mountaintop restaurant that is a popular stop-off point for British skiers and has panoramic views of snow-covered peaks. It is believed they returned for a meal at the same restaurant, which was once a shepherd’s hut.
A member of staff revealed: ‘It was lovely to see Kate relaxing and enjoying herself. They looked like a normal English family, and a lot of people didn’t recognise them. It was not the first time we had seen them. They have been coming here for years. I think they love the area. We often see Kate’s sister Pippa as well.’
Although the trip will be viewed as a positive sign in Kate’s ongoing recovery from cancer, Kensington Palace have stressed that the princess’s return to full duties will only be gradual.
Kate – who, after a visit to the hospital where she had chemotherapy, announced last week that she was ‘in remission’ from cancer – spent time with her brother James while on her break, including seeing him at the restaurant.
An onlooker said: ‘James was there with his wife and then Kate arrived with Charlotte and Louis. It seemed like a bit of a Middleton family knees-up. Everyone seemed to be really happy. There were no airs and graces and actually they seemed like any normal family enjoying a ski break. There were lots of laughs and the children were very polite. The only reason you would have known that they were people of importance was because when Kate arrived so did a group of security guards. Kate looked like she was having a lovely time.’
Kate is thought to have returned back to the UK in time to celebrate her 43rd birthday at home on January 9. She then undertook her first solo engagement in more than a year at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, where she was treated for her cancer. Her visit to the hospital was described by royal watchers as part of her ‘carefully calibrated plan to manage her recovery and measured return to official duties’.
Did anyone actually see William on the slopes or dining with his wife and children? Or did people only see James Middleton, Kate and the two younger Wales kids? The whole thing is odd. Granted, most of us assumed that Kate and William (together or separately) have slipped away for vacations outside of the UK a lot in recent years. But given all of the attention on Kate, her whereabouts, her birthday and her health, it feels especially notable that Kate and at least two of the kids were able to leave the country and no one heard about it for a couple of weeks. Does KP understand that they’re stepping on their own messaging? Maybe this is the message – Kate is perfectly capable of gearing up for international ski vacations, but you can’t expect her to visit a London charity or attend a diplomatic reception at the palace.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Kensington Palace.
The Princess of Wales during a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, where she received her cancer treatment, to personally thank staff for her care. The Prince and Princess of Wales have become Joint Patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the specialist cancer hospital which treats over 59,000 NHS and private patients every year.
Featuring: Catherine, Princess Of Wales
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 14 Jan 2025
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
The Princess of Wales during a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, where she received her cancer treatment, to personally thank staff for her care. The Prince and Princess of Wales have become Joint Patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the specialist cancer hospital which treats over 59,000 NHS and private patients every year.
Featuring: Catherine, Princess Of Wales
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 14 Jan 2025
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
The Princess of Wales talks with members of staff during a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, where she received her cancer treatment, to personally thank staff for her care. The Prince and Princess of Wales have become Joint Patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the specialist cancer hospital which treats over 59,000 NHS and private patients every year
Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 14 Jan 2025
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
The Princess of Wales talks with members of staff during a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, where she received her cancer treatment, to personally thank staff for her care. The Prince and Princess of Wales have become Joint Patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the specialist cancer hospital which treats over 59,000 NHS and private patients every year
Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 14 Jan 2025
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
The Princess of Wales during a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, where she received her cancer treatment, to personally thank staff for her care. The Prince and Princess of Wales have become Joint Patrons of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the specialist cancer hospital which treats over 59,000 NHS and private patients every year
Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 14 Jan 2025
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
