Princess Kate 6 'All Eyes on Her Are

The Princess of Wales made it through the battle of her life. Now she's back in the spotlight — and doing things her way. How the mom of three is balancing recovery with the pressures of the “royal goldfish bowl”

- JOANNA POWELL

On Jan. 14, Princess Kate reached a major milestone with her emotional return to London's Royal Marsden Hospital, where she was treated for cancer last year. The surprise (and very personal) visit marked her first solo public engagement in a year, signaling that she's back on the radar as an active royal after completing a grueling series of chemotherapy treatments last September.

Entering through the main lobby door — instead of slipping unseen through the back, as she did as a patient — the beaming princess, dressed in a plaid Blazé Milano coat and her signature high heels, was greeted by applause from staff and misty-eyed appreciation from patients still battling the brutal disease. Kate’s warmth and flair for genuine connection were palpable as she worked her way through the facility, offering empathy and encouragement in a scene reminiscent of her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. Indeed, since her battle with an undisclosed type of cancer, soft-spoken Kate, 43, has become Britain’s most revered royal, earning a 66 percent approval rating in a September 2024 poll.

But adoration also breeds expectations. And now that Kate is in remission, jubilant news she also announced on Jan. 14, the pressure is on for more free time with the public. “All eyes are on Kate for when she returns to work,” a source tells Us. “And that could become stressful.” Part of the issue is she’s so popular and gets so much attention. It’s like any royal event she attends has a halo around it and goes well, so the public wants as much of her as possible.”

During her Jan. 14 visit to Royal Marsden Hospital, Kate met with staff as well as patients undergoing chemotherapy.

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