Yahoo Lifestyle Kate Middleton Will Join Prince William to Kick Off State Visit from Qatar Next Week
"You can’t say she is back...but she is coming back," royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith recently told PEOPLE about Kate's gradual return to royal duties
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Kate Middleton and Prince William at the Festival of Remembrance at Royal Albert Hall in London on Nov. 9, 2024Kate Middleton's next royal outing has been revealed, where she'll join Prince William to kick off the incoming state visit from Qatar.
On Nov. 25, Buckingham Palace announced that the Princess of Wales, 42, will join her husband on Tuesday, Dec. 3 to welcome the Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, on the first official day of their two-day state visit to the U.K.
PEOPLE understands that Princess Kate will participate in the state welcome, which traditionally begins at the visiting guests' residence, followed by travel to Horse Guards Parade for a Ceremonial Welcome, greeting from King Charles and Queen Camilla, ceremonial presentations and a lunch at Buckingham Palace, where a curated collection of items from the Royal Collection Trust relating to the visiting nation are displayed.
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Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al-Thani arrive at Westminster Abbey for King Charles' coronation on May 6, 2023.Related: Prep Those Tiaras! King Charles and Queen Camilla Set to Host Second State Visit of the Year
Though the later daytime programming varies, the first day of incoming state visits are traditionally capped with a glam banquet. It's understood that Princess Kate, who announced in September that she completed chemotherapy treatment, will not be at the palace party.
The update is significant as it marks Princess Kate's next major engagement after she announced on Sept. 9 that she completed chemo. The Princess of Wales was outside of the limelight for much of 2024 after announcing in March that she was undergoing treatment for cancer and described it as a "relief" to have completed that treatment in the Sept. 9 announcement.
Princess Kate joined the royals for her first set of major ceremonial events after sharing that she completed chemo earlier this month, stepping out for the Festival of Remembrance at Royal Albert Hall on Nov. 9 and the Cenotaph Service at the war memorial on Remembrance Sunday, Nov. 10.
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Kate Middleton and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh at the Cenotaph Service in London on Nov. 10, 2024.Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
"She is clearly a vital piece of the royal family, really important both symbolically and in reality as a future Queen," royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told PEOPLE about the significance of seeing the princess. "It was good that people saw her. You can’t say she is back... but she is coming back."
Buckingham Palace announced the incoming state visit from Qatar on Oct. 11, and the diplomatic occasion will be the second state visit of the year following Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan's stay in June.
The Amir of Qatar and his wife and consort attended the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla in May 2023, and the palace says the Amir has visited the U.K. on eight occasions.
