Princess Kate Held a Secret Meeting at Windsor Castle

She hosted an audience just hours before skipping a white-tie Palace event.

It was a white-tie affair at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night, but Kate Middleton was notably missing from the evening’s festivities. Senior royals Prince William, King Charles, and Queen Camilla held down the fort as they hosted hundreds of diplomats at their annual Diplomatic Corps Reception—but the princess was reportedly busy working on one of her biggest projects. Just hours before missing the reception, Kate held a secret meeting at Windsor Castle for an important initiative.

Coming just a week after she made two back-to-back appearances at Remembrance weekend events, the royal was back to her royal duties early on November 19 as she held a private conference for her Early Years Project, according to the Court Circular, a record system which basically documents everything that the royals do.

It’s an important initiative for Kate, as it’s part of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood which she and William launched back in 2021—and she's continued to prioritize it while stepping back from other engagements due to health reasons. The princess notably held an Early Years Project meeting in mid-September, marking her first meeting since completing chemotherapy treatment. Before that, the last official meeting she took was with the Royal Foundation on December 6, 2023.

Kate’s decision to prioritize the private meeting and skip the highly-photographed royal reception comes amid reports that the princess is being very intentional about how she eases back into her duties. Royal expert Sally Bedell Smith previously told People that Kate was focused on making sure her royal return happens “in her own way.”

“She has managed the expectations of the public very well,” the palace biographer told the publication. While Kate’s next confirmed public appearance won’t be until she hosts her annual Westminster Abbey Christmas carol concert, Bedell Smith revealed that the royal is still keeping busy behind the scenes “working at her various projects, and that’s not anything we can see.”