Kate Middleton Expected to Stay Busy During Prince Harry’s UK Visit — Just Like William
After a long summer break, the Prince and Princess of Wales are back in action, but their timing hasn’t gone unnoticed. Just as Prince Harry makes a return to the UK, Kensington Palace has lined up fresh engagements for Kate Middleton, a move that royal watchers see as more than a mere coincidence — rather a move that keeps them in the royal spotlight, while getting out of meeting Harry.
On Thursday, the Princess will tour Sudbury Silk Mills in Suffolk, followed by a stop at Marina Mill in Kent. The visits will focus on celebrating British textile manufacturing and the craftsmanship behind it. In a statement, the Palace said her engagements will "highlight the rich heritage of the British textile industry and celebrate the joy found in working in the creative industries." The Princess, it added, has "long been passionate about the importance of the British textiles industry and its role as part of the UK’s cultural and creative voice."
The update comes just as Harry wraps up his own round of charity events in London and Nottingham. With the Duke of Sussex on home soil for the first time in five months, every royal appearance has been scrutinized for signs of overlap or avoidance, even though Harry had shared his schedule well in advance of coming down to the UK, which was also seen as a peace offering.
Middleton’s schedule for this week follows another surprise outing earlier on Monday, when she unexpectedly joined William at a commemoration event marking the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death. The couple attended the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (WI) in Sunningdale, where they paid tribute to the late monarch. The Princess was not originally slated to be there, but chose to accompany William at the last minute. Body language expert Judi James suggested that the decision may have been strategic, given Harry’s presence in London the same day for the WellChild Awards, as per The Mirror. “We've already seen Harry on a ring doorbell looking like a fan of the impromptu drop-in, and William's outing to Sunningdale might have left one (future) queen alone and socially vulnerable if a request for afternoon tea was made,” James explained.
Meanwhile, Harry’s itinerary has taken him from the WellChild Awards in London to a community recording studio in Nottingham, underscoring his ongoing charity work despite his estrangement from the royal fold. So far, his return has not led to any joint appearances or meetings with senior family members. It also didn’t go unnoticed that William, often criticized for keeping a lighter schedule and being 'work-shy', suddenly found himself juggling three consecutive days of engagements. To observers, it felt less like a coincidence and more like a strategy, whether to overshadow his brother or sidestep him entirely.
The King, still based at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire, has no public events this week. His last meeting with Harry was brief, barely lasting half an hour, in February 2024, when the Duke flew in after learning of his father’s cancer diagnosis. Since then, contact has remained limited, and it was reported that Harry had turned down his offer of staying in Buckingham Palace during his last short trip to the UK for his court case.