Princess Kate announced the end of her chemotherapy in September, and while she is yet to return to full-time work, there are hopes she may be seen in public more next year.
The Princess of Wales will likely next be seen in public at her annual carol service Together at Christmas, at Westminster Abbey, in London, on December 6.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will no doubt all be there to support her, alongside other royals, including husband Prince William.
It's the biggest event in her annual calendar during a normal year, and will be a highlight after 12 months blighted by ill health.
However, even as she prepares to take center stage in full public glare, she has still not actually gone back to work yet.
What Princess Kate Said About Returning to Work in September
Kate released a video message outlining a gradual increase in her work load in September, as the royal family returned to their duties following their summer break.
She said her chemotherapy treatment, which began in late February, had come to an end, but she would not go back to full-time work right away.
"Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus," the princess said. "Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.
"I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.
"Despite all that has gone before, I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life."
What Prince William Said About Kate's 2025
Prince William broached the question of Kate's workload during interviews around his Earthshot Prize ceremony in South Africa earlier this month.
"Hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year," he told journalists who joined him on the tour, "so we'll have some more trips maybe lined up."
The first half of Kate's year was dominated by wild conspiracy theories circulating on social media, which included suggestions she was missing or even deceased.
The frenzy was partly fuelled by a Mother's Day image put out by Kensington Palace in March, which was the first new picture of her in 2024.
At the time, users on X, formerly Twitter, had been calling for proof of life, but when the photo arrived it bore the hallmarks of widespread editing.
Kate apologized in a social media post, but was ultimately bounced into revealing later that month that "cancer had been present" in her body at the time of abdominal surgery in January, a fact she had not revealed up until that point.
If the princess does not return to work in full in the new year, Kensington Palace may again have to carefully plan its PR strategy.
Jack Royston is Newsweek's chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
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