William’s accidental Kate health reveal

The Prince of Wales has just had a massive few days and one detail could say everything about the Princess of Wales’ comeback.

Christmas must be hell for the friends of the royal family.

Once you control swathes of a nation’s seabed rights and a monogrammed ‘copter it must make you hard to shop for. Socks, when your family owns a healthy chunk of Scotland, don’t really cut it.

No matter, because this year, Prince William could have already gotten the exact, and only, gift he had on his Santa list: Kate, the Princess of Wales, well enough to ramp up her public royalling.

The last few weeks have seen a very interesting version of William out and about.

There he was, lading about with the Welsh Guards; laughing with Idris Elba at the Tusk Trust Conservation Awards; enjoying a right chuckle with the Sheikha of Qatar; in Cheery Dad mode at Kate’s’ carol concert; having a right larf with Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa at the reopening of Notre-Dame; and looking as happy as a certifiably organic clam doing the full statesman bit before a private meeting with Donald ‘26 accusations of sexual assault’ Trump.

Prince William serving Christmas lunch at a charity in London. Picture: Instagram/princeandprincessofwales

Two of the greats: Prince William, Prince of Wales and Idris Elba attend the 2024 Tusk Conservation Awards at The Savoy Hotel on November 27, 2024 in London, England. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Prince William and US President-elect Donald Trump in Paris, France. Picture: Aaron Chown - Pool/Getty Images

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As someone who spends an ungodly amount of time looking at photos of people who are never going to invite me around for a quick snifter let me say this — William is suddenly looking remarkably happy. Chipper. Bubbly. Jubilant even.

In the eternal words of Australia’s most famous fish and chip shop flipper, please explain. (You can hear the accent, right?)

One possible answer lies in what has also been happening of late.

Around the same time we have been increasingly treated to this new zippity doo-dah William, Kate has been upping her public appearances and marginally cranked up royal workload as she continues her gradual return to public duties after spending much 2024 battling cancer.

Previously, the number of times that the princess has logged official engagements this year could nearly be counted on one hand and it was only in September that she announced, via a full-gloss, release-the-butterflies home video, that she had finished chemotherapy.

Since then, her comeback has been of the incremental sort, all staged with the sort of precision usually reserved for tweaks to the large hadron collider.

The line out of London has been that the 42-year-old would only do things when she was well enough and ready.

The Prince and Princess of Wales posted a video of their family to Instagram. Picture: Will Warr/Prince and Princess of Wales/Instagram

However, the last couple of weeks have seen an increase in her official outings.

There the Princess of Wales was doing her bit for UK trade relations (golly they have a lot of that lovely oil no?) during the recent Qatari State visit, done up in an Alexander McQueen coat that was handily in the Middle Eastern country’s national colours. (Did I mention they have a lot of that lovely oil? Please sir, may we have some more?)

Days later, it was Smart Coat time again for Kate, this time a nice shiny Rudolph-y red one replete with a Mary Poppins-like bow, for her annual Together a Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.

If the Princess of Wales ended up looking slightly disconcertingly like she had been gift-wrapped, then far be it from me to complain, because the symbolism is just perfect.

Kate, well enough that she could take on the biggest week of work she has been able to do all year? That has to figure as the best present of them all for William. No wonder the man has been looking all punchily pleased.

Obviously it was the princess who had the dreaded disease but the prince has been there throughout it all doing his best Galahad impression.

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales arrives to attend the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service" at Westminster Abbey in London on December 6, 2024. Picture: Henry Nicholls/AFP

Kate at the Carols event looking happy and healthy. Picture: Isabel Infantes/AFP

One friend of the couple has told the Times during her treatment that William was in “protection mode” while another told People earlier this year that throughout everything he had been “right beside her”.

In November, a close friend of William’s told the Sunday Times’ Roya Nikkhah that King Charles and Kate’s health battles had “taken a huge toll” on the prince, however, “he’ll be OK if Catherine is OK.”

The father-of-three has not shied away from being remarkably upfront about the toll that 2024 has had on him and their family, telling the Times it has been a “brutal” year.

“It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life,” William has said.

He also revealed his optimism about what lies ahead, saying “I think hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year”.

With only a few scant weeks until 2025, the Waleses must be positively gagging for the clock to tick over to 12.01am on January 1, for them to enjoy a new slate, a new calendar, a new start.

For now though, the prince is smiling. It’s a Christmas miracle.

Daniela Elser is a writer, editor and a royal commentator with more than 15 years’ experience working with a number of Australia’s leading media titles.