It was back to business for Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales when they turned up for one of their first engagements of the year.
The couple honoured Holocaust survivors at an event, hugging attendees and listening to their personal stories with great compassion.
With Kate, 43, out of action for most of last year following her cancer diagnosis and treatment, William, 42 – who took time off to help care for his wife and their children – had to carry out most of his duties alone, so it would have been a relief to have Kate by his side at the Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations in London, especially as the event was so poignant.
While the pair is getting on with their royal roles following Kate’s return to work, it looks to all intents and purposes as if little has changed. But everything they’ve been through in the past year has had a huge impact on how they view life, as well as strengthening their relationship, say sources close to the couple.
The difficult times have brought a newfound depth to their marriage, says a palace insider, and they’re much more open in their “expressions of love” for each other, as seen in the touching birthday message William posted about Kate.
Unusually candid for him, it said he and their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, were proud of Kate and ended with, “We love you.”
Says royal biographer Ingrid Seward, “William must feel so fortunate that Kate has come through this that he wants to tell the world about that love. It shows the intimacy of that journey together.”
Royal historian Dr Amanda Foreman says the couple’s bond is stronger than ever. “They feel very lucky to be married to each other.”
A Holocaust survivor Kate met at the memorial event agreed. He told her, “William’s the luckiest man in the world to have you.” Kate giggled and replied, “I will tell him that.”
But he seems he already knows and the feelings are mutual.
Their timeline of love
The Weekly takes a look at Kate and William’s romance over the years…
2001
William and Kate met at St Andrews University in Scotland. In her engagement interview nine years later, Kate admitted it took a while for them to get know each other as she was so shy. “You said I went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off,” she told William during the interview. But they eventually became friends, with William saying, “We realised we shared the same interests.”
2002
The pair became flatmates, sharing a four-bedroom apartment in St Andrews with two pals. “We moved in together as friends… and it just sort of blossomed from there, really. We just saw more of each other, hung out a bit more and did stuff,” said William.
A turning point in their relationship came after the young future king saw Kate in a whole new light when she wore a sheer outfit in a university fashion show.
2003
The lovebirds got their own place and William tried to impress Kate by cooking fancy dinners that invariably became disasters. “I would burn something, something would overspill, something would catch on fire,” he later revealed, adding that Kate would end up taking control of the situation.
2004
After keeping their romance under wraps, the news broke in April that William had a girlfriend when pictures of them skiing in Switzerland were published in a UK newspaper.
2006
Kate attended William’s graduation from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which was significant as it was her first time at an event with other royals, including the Queen.
2007
After nearly five years together, it was reported in April that Kate and William had split up. Kate was said to be struggling with media attention and they were heading on different paths in life William with his military career and Kate as an accessories buyer for a fashion firm. William later said they just needed “a bit of space”.
They rekindled their romance two months later and people saw them kissing passionately at a party. Shortly afterwards, William made Kate his plus one at a concert held in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.
2010
Kate and William’s engagement was announced on November 16. William had popped the question a month earlier while they were on holiday in Kenya, after they’d talked for some time about getting married. “I decided it was the right time,” said the prince, who proposed on bended knee in a scenic spot, using his mother’s iconic sapphire engagement ring.
2011
In February, Kate carried out her first official royal engagement, doing a walkabout in Wales with William. Shortly before they married on April 29, the Queen announced she’d given them the titles Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Their wedding at Westminster Abbey was attended by 1900 guests and watched by a global TV audience of 300 million. After the ceremony, the newlyweds kissed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. When the crowd roared their delight, William suggested to his bride, “Shall we do one more?” So they did.
They began married life in a rented farmhouse in Anglesey, Wales, close to where William was working as an air force rescue pilot, and in June embarked on their first overseas tour as a couple, to Canada.
2012
On December 3, it was announced that Kate was pregnant with the couple’s first child. They revealed the news much earlier in the pregnancy than usual. Doctors admitted Kate to hospital suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, which causes extreme morning sickness.
2013
Prince George Alexander Louis was born at St Mary’s Hospital in London on July 22. His proud parents posed with their newborn son on the hospital steps the following day, before going to stay with Kate’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton for several weeks.
2014
New Zealanders got to see the future heir to the throne on his first overseas visit when Kate and William brought George Down Under in April 2014. The nine-month-old attended a playdate with other babies at Government House.
In September, they announced that George was going to be a big brother. Kate was also very sick throughout her second pregnancy and had to dial back her public duties.
2015
Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana arrived on May 2. Just 10 hours after giving birth, Kate joined William outside St Mary’s to present their daughter to the world.
2016
Kate embarked on her first solo tour to the Netherlands. While on his own solo trip to Vietnam, William admitted he’d struggled going from a bachelor to being a dad. Regardless, he adored his kids and was lucky to have support from his wife. “She’s an amazing mother and a fantastic wife.”
2018
William and Kate’s third child, Prince Louis Arthur Charles, was born on April 23. Again, Kate battled severe sickness during her pregnancy.
2020
With Covid halting their royal engagements, the Cambridges gave a rare joint interview via video call and talked about the challenges of isolating during lockdowns. “It’s been ups and downs,” said Kate. “The children have got such stamina, I don’t know how.”
2021
To mark their 10th wedding anniversary, the couple released two photos that showed them cuddling up together and holding hands. They also posted an endearing video of themselves with their children, playing in the garden of their country home Anmer Hall and walking along a nearby beach. They captioned it, “We are enormously grateful for the 10 years of support we’ve received as a family.”
2022
Despite being husband and wife for more than a decade, they didn’t release the first official portrait of them together until June 2022. The painting by Jamie Coreth shows Kate and William with their arms around each other. In September, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, William and Kate became the Prince and Princess of Wales.
2024
On January 17, Kensington Palace announced Kate was in hospital after undergoing abdominal surgery. People expected her to return to duties at Easter. However, on March 22, she released a video in which she revealed she had cancer and was having preventative chemotherapy. They did not disclose the type of cancer. Kate stayed out of the spotlight for most of the year. Then on September 9, she posted a video of her with her family, announcing she’d finished chemo. She explained her illness had “reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life… simply loving and being loved”.
2025
On Kate’s 43rd birthday in January, William posted a message, saying, “To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable… We love you. W”. A few days later, on a visit to the hospital where she had chemo, Kate talked about the relief of being in remission, and thanked staff for “helping William and me as we have navigated everything”.
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