Princess Kate's "Diary Is Already Filling Up" With 2026 Events, But Her "Old Pace" Is Still a Thing of the Past, Says Royal Expert
"The days of just powering through are done."
Despite going through regular cancer treatments, King Charles was named the hardest working royal of 2025, with the monarch topping the rest of his family when it comes to how many public engagements he carried out over the year. While The King made 535 appearances, Prince William trailed behind at 202, and Princess Kate was ranked 10th on the list, with 68 engagements, per the Mirror.
According to one royal expert, the Princess of Wales, who is now in remission from cancer, will likely be ramping up her efforts in 2026—to a degree.
"This year, I expect Catherine to carry out more engagements but be selective," royal author and journalist Robert Jobson told Hello! magazine. "Her diary is already filling up, I am told. But she won't go back to the old pace; she's learnt that lesson."
Princess Kate is pictured at Charing Cross Hospital on January 8.
In terms of Kate's "old pace," the Princess of Wales carried out 128 engagements in 2023, the last full working year before she was diagnosed with cancer. While critics have pointed out that this number is significantly lower than much older members of the Royal Family, like Princess Anne, the Waleses have always been clear that their children come first—even when Queen Elizabeth found herself " irritated."
In Jobson's new book, The Windsor Legacy, he detailed an incident when the late Queen asked Prince William to fill in for her at a July 2022 event when she wasn't feeling well. According to the author, the Prince of Wales "cried off, citing fatherly duties," which "left his grandmother not only disappointed but irritated."
"She is said to have scoffed: 'Isn't that what nannies and policemen are for?'" the author penned.
As for this year's schedule, Jobson told Hello! that Kate's public events "will be meaningful, with gaps in between for her family."
On January 9, the Princess of Wales released a new video about the healing power of nature in winter.
"Catherine has a public role to play in supporting William in his official duties and her own interests, too, but her family and her health come first; everything else is built around that," he said. "Running on empty isn't an option; nor is missing too much time with George, Charlotte and Louis. The days of just powering through are done."
After joining the Prince of Wales to meet patients and employees at Charing Cross Hospital in London last week, the princess will make her first solo appearance of 2026 on Thursday, January 15 when she hosts a reception for the England Women’s Rugby team.
She's also set to focus on a new area in her royal work, with a palace aide telling the Mirror that Princess Kate is set to focus on "the healing power of creativity." The source added, "It is her absolute belief that her recovery was aided by immersing herself in nature, focusing on the joy of being creative as well as being around loved ones."
