King Charles III, Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton are out of the royal calendar for the foreseeable future, analysis of their official engagement schedule discovered. Amid their absences from public life, Princess Anne will continue to take on the bulk of the royal family’s workload.
The Princess Royal, 73, is and will continue to fulfill 70% of the firm’s public-facing duties, a new study from U.K.-based wellbeing experts at GoSmokeFree found, made public on Wednesday, March 27. Queen Elizabeth II’s only daughter is scheduled to take on 55 out of 78 royal engagements from publication until May 10, not only resolidifying her status as the hardest working royal, but proving that the firm will continue to rely on her as both Charles, 75, and Kate, 42, battle cancer.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, will make 13 appearances in March and April, while Camilla, Queen Consort, is set to make just one appearance on behalf of the king on March 28. Charles will attend Easter church service at Windsor alongside other senior royals, Buckingham Palace confirmed, but Kate and William, 41, will not be present.
After a break from public engagements for Easter, Anne will be back on the job and is set to undertake a 14-event agenda leading up to April 23. She is the only royal scheduled to work immediately after the holiday as of publication.
The royal calendar makes it abundantly clear that both Kate and Charles are relying on their respective spouses for support as they undergo treatment for cancer. Kate – who was at the center of rampant speculation for much of 2024 – did not specify what kind of cancer was discovered after her major abdominal surgery took place in January. Charles, too, did not make his type of cancer known, but insiders exclusively revealed to In Touch that the king is battling pancreatic cancer.
“Many courtiers believe Charles’ cancer is worse than they’re making it out to be,” an insider revealed in early March. “Even before the diagnosis, there were concerns about his health.”
The king has made a handful of appearances, however, “not only to squash the wild conspiracy theories and false reports of his death, but to ensure people that he’s still able to perform his duties as king.” Most recently, he met with alumni of the Windsor Leadership Trust to discuss issues revolving around community and religion.
Kate, meanwhile, made it abundantly clear in her video message to the public on March 22 that she will be staying out of the spotlight as she focuses on her health.
“My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in early stages of that treatment,” Kate said. “It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to [the kids] in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I’m going to be OK.”
She continued, “We hope that you’ll understand that as a family we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able. But for now, I must focus on making a full recovery.”
