Despite 2025 Being "the Year of Reset," Princess Kate Will Likely Do This Before Going Back to Regular Duties

After a tumultuous 2024 that saw both The King and Princess Kate diagnosed with cancer, the Royal Family—and fans everywhere—are certainly wishing for a quieter 2025. And although many are hoping to see the Princess of Wales return to normality, royal biographer Robert Hardman tells Marie Claire there's one part of royal life that will get back on track first.

"I would say 2025, I'm sure everyone just hopes that it will be a year of resetting, or it'll be the year of reset. It'll be the year of going back to the way we were at the end of 2023 of regular, or semiregular duties," he says. The Princess of Wales put a priority on her recovery and family in 2024, and Hardman says fans shouldn't expect to see a huge jump in appearances this year.

"I think what we will see with her is...we'll see a lot more of her undertaking public engagements, but I still wouldn't imagine being back to 2023 levels," the Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy author continues. However, he notes that even if Princess Kate is not out in public as often, planning meetings with her various patronages should increase in 2025.

"I think she'll be getting back to normal in terms of engagements behind the scenes," Hardman says. "For every sort of one hour spent in front of the camera shaking hands with the crowd, there's probably about four or five hours of prep time, working, memos, briefings, and all that stuff."

“So, I think the behind the scenes stuff will get back to usual long before the public stuff does," the royal commentator tells Marie Claire. "And we know that already. We know she's already spending more and more time getting back on track with her charities, particularly the early years work, which is very important to her."

The Princess of Wales made her first public appearance in 2024 during June's Trooping the Colour parade, and also attended the Wimbledon men's finals in her role as patron last summer. She paid visits with families impacted by a tragic stabbing and an inspirational teenager cancer patient in October, going on attend two Remembrance Day events in November. December was a busy month where royal watchers saw the Princess of Wales support The King during the Qatari state visit, host her annual carol concert and join the Royal Family in festive plaid for their annual walk to church on Christmas.

Time will tell when the princess returns to duties in 2025, but as Hardman notes of the Prince and Princess of Wales, "They've still got young children. They've made a conscious decision that they're going to be a hands-on family."

As for The King's 2025 plans, the author says, "He's just keen to keep it as business as usual," pointing out that tending to his behind-the-scenes work regarding "constitutional duties" such as meeting with ministers "hasn't stopped at any point even in the depths of his illness."

"I think there is a sense of a king in a hurry, and I think there was well before the cancer," Hardman says.