Kensington Palace plans ‘soft return’ for Kate on Easter Sunday

The plan is the palace’s attempt to retake control of the narrative and regain the public’s trust after the Mother’s Day manipulated-photo disaster and amid ongoing conspiracy theories.

Prince William and Catherine Princess of Wales. Picture: Getty Images.

Kensington Palace aides are drawing up plans for the Princess of Wales to make a “soft return” to public life ahead of schedule, with a walk to church on Easter Sunday on the cards.

The plan, revealed in the UK media, is the palace’s attempt to retake control of the narrative and regain the public’s trust after the Mother’s Day manipulated-photo disaster and amid ongoing conspiracy theories about Kate’s health.

The London Times reports that royal aides have been speaking to Kate about the possibility of her walking to church on Easter Sunday to join other family members for the annual Easter service which takes place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

After her public appearance, she will spend time with her children over their Easter break before returning to public duties later in April. The children return to school on April 17.

Although the Palace had said the Princess would return to duties after Easter, her brief appearance at Windsor will allow aides to claim it as an official return, giving her an extra few weeks of privacy.

The manipulated Mother’s Day image of Kate with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The appearance will also allow media photographers a photo opportunity to disprove the ongoing conspiracy theories over her prolonged disappearance from public life.

When she does return to official engagements, Kate is expected to focus on her early years project, which has been described by aides as “her life’s work,” The Times reports.

A royal insider said that her comeback was “something which has focused minds right from the beginning”.

However insiders say that “an even sharper focus” is now required as conspiracy theorists continued to speculate on Kate’s health and the state of the Wales’ marriage.

The Princess is said to be not displeased with the video published in the Sun on Monday, which showed her and Prince William at a farm shop in Windsor.

The couple had been at a sports event at their children’s school over the weekend and were expecting that a member of the public would take photographs or video of them.

Still from video of The Prince and Princess of Waleat a farm shop in Windsor. Picture – The Sun

Nelson Silva, who took the video published in the Sun, told the newspaper he was at the meat counter at the shop, when he saw the Princess.

“Then I saw Kate turn her head slightly, I was like, ‘Oh I know her’” he said. “They went to the meat section and I was stood behind them. They were talking to staff and laughing.

“I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the staff seemed overwhelmed in a nice way. When I went to pay for my produce, the girl at the counter was so shocked she was hardly breathing.

“Everyone in there was very excited. It was a really nice atmosphere.”

However even that footage has been called into question, with a BBC sports reporter claiming a Kate body double had been used in the video.

“Disturbing that newspapers like The Times are reporting this as fact,” Sonja McLaughlan wrote. “Headline ‘Kate seen in public for the first time” when it’s clearly not her. As someone has said. Could be a couple of lookalikes making mischief.’ “

The freelance journalist added: “It’s so obviously not Kate. Some newspaper are reporting it as fact. But it’s not her. No conspiracy theorist but all very odd.”

It comes amid claims staff at a private hospital attended by Kate are involved in a major security breach.

The London Clinic, where The Princess of Wales was treated for a planned abdominal surgery in January, has launched an investigation over claims that at least one staff member was caught trying to access the 42-year-old’s private medical records, The Mirror reports.