A Queen in Waiting

AFTER COMPLETING CHEMOTHERAPY, THE PRINCESS OF WALES IS NAVIGATING THE EXPECTATIONS TIED TO HER FUTURE ROLE AS QUEEN A PREPARATION THAT FEELS MORE URGENT THAN EVER

- SIMON PERRY

Under the ancient vaulted roof of Westminster Abbey on Dec. 6, Princess Kate stepped into the spotlight to host her fourth annual Together at Christmas carol service a momentous event that has become a highlight of her calendar in recent years.

This year, however, the occasion carried added weight. It marked her biggest public outing since completing chemotherapy in September after a grueling year defined by health struggles. "I know how hard it would be to do something like this, putting yourself out there when you may not be feeling 100 percent," says Jenny Powell, a community worker who was among the attendees.

"She put that brave face on, and she looked gorgeous." Dressed in a festive red Alexander McQueen coat and sporting her signature blowout, Kate, 42, appeared her usual composed self as she and Prince William, 42, walked their three children-Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6-down the aisle in front of a crowd of 1,600 guests.

But her nearly yearlong journey with cancer has brought a profound change beneath the familiar exterior. In a rare and candid moment, British pop star Paloma Faith, who performed at the event, asked Kate how she was doing. “I didn’t know this year was going to be the year that I’ve just had,” Kate said. “The unplanned,” Faith interjected. Kate nodded thoughtfully and replied, “The unplanned, exactly.”

Kate’s words offered a glimpse into her transformation, moving toward a more unguarded, emotionally confident version of herself. “You can’t go through something like that and come out the other side unchanged,” an insider says. “She is a different person now.”