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Her return was nothing short of a triumph. Two months ago, Princess Kate Middleton<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 immaculately attired in a white Jenny Packham dress and a jaunty Philip Treacy hat \u2014 stepped onto the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour, the monarch\u2019s official birthday celebration, drawing roars from the crowd below. The June 15 event marked her first public appearance<\/a> with the royal family since Christmas \u2014 and her first since a March announcement revealing that she\u2019d been diagnosed with an undisclosed cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy<\/a>. A month later, a radiant Kate ventured out again, this time in a bold purple Safiyaa look, eliciting wild cheers and a standing ovation as she arrived to watch the Wimbledon men\u2019s tennis final on July 14.<\/p>\n Now she\u2019s ready for something even bigger. After spending the summer continuing her treatment and recovery and enjoying time with her children, Prince George<\/a>, 11, Princess Charlotte<\/a>, 9, and Prince Louis<\/a>, 6, during their school break at both their country estate, Anmer Hall in England\u2019s Norfolk region, as well as on King Charles III<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s bucolic Balmoral estate in Scotland, the Princess of Wales is coming to America.<\/p>\n A source exclusively tells Life & Style<\/em> she\u2019s secretly planning to join husband Prince William<\/strong><\/a> in NYC on September 24 for his beloved Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit.<\/p>\n \u201cKate is very excited to be getting back in the swing of royal duties,\u201d says the source, explaining that supporting William, and inevitably bringing global attention to the environmental action event he\u2019s so passionate about, \u201cmeans the world to her.\u201d\n<\/p>\n But that\u2019s hardly the only draw. Amid this unexpectedly difficult year \u2014 Charles, 75, announced his own cancer diagnosis<\/a> in February \u2014 Kate and William, both 42, have struggled to deal with not only what Kate\u2019s called the \u201chuge shock\u201d of her health crisis but juggling her medical needs with their royal and parenting duties. A trip to Manhattan would in many ways be a much-needed distraction.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve been craving the chance to get away and have some fun, so this serves as a perfect opportunity to do just that,\u201d says the source. \u201cBeing away from the kids and holed up in a ritzy hotel will be a treat, plus they love New York and its energy.\u201d<\/p>\n The last time William and Kate were in the city together was a decade ago. They were three years into their marriage and Kate was pregnant with Charlotte at the time. On that trip, they stayed at the Carlyle, a luxury hotel on the Upper East Side. This time, if they\u2019re inclined to indulge themselves again, they could stay in the five-star property\u2019s three-bedroom presidential suite, which encompasses the entire 26th floor, features 360-degree views of the city and costs $40,000 a night.<\/p>\n Yet no matter how comfortable and decadent the amenities might be, Kate doesn\u2019t want to remain holed up in a hotel. If she\u2019s feeling up to it, \u201cshe\u2019d like to see more of the Big Apple,\u201d says the source, and maybe \u201ctake some time out when they\u2019re not working and go sightseeing, perhaps do some shopping and soak up the atmosphere and culture.\u201d<\/p>\n The fashion-savvy royal wants to look good doing it too. \u201cShe plans to work with at least two stylists so she has a good range of choices,\u201d says the source. After all she\u2019s been through, adds the source, \u201cfriends are saying Kate needs this more than anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Coming to America means the Waleses will be on Prince Harry<\/strong><\/a> and Meghan Markle<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s home turf following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex\u2019s move to the States more than four years ago. Don\u2019t count on a reunion, however \u2014 especially after Meghan, 43, reopened old wounds in a new interview. While speaking to CBS Sunday Morning<\/em> about an initiative she and Harry, 39, just launched to help parents whose children have been impacted by online harm, Meghan said she\u2019d only \u201cscraped the surface of my experience\u201d after previously revealing she was suicidal in 2019 during her first pregnancy and accusing the royal family of being unwilling to defend her from U.K. media attacks. She\u2019s also said she was denied mental-health care by palace courtiers.<\/p>\n As Life & Style<\/em> has previously reported, William and Harry\u2019s estrangement continues. \u201cIt would be way too awkward to see each other,\u201d says the source. \u201cEven if Harry wanted to meet, William would almost certainly take a cue from his father\u2019s handbook and blame his full schedule for it not being possible.\u201d (As Charles did in May when Harry visited London to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.)<\/p>\n This visit is just as much for William as it is for Kate. She knows how much her presence would elevate the attention on Earthshot, which the future king launched with famed naturalist David Attenborough<\/strong>, 98, in 2020 to reward those making significant contributions to environmentalism. Supporting the summit \u2014 where 15 finalists will be announced ahead of November\u2019s prize ceremony in South Africa, where five winners will receive $1.27 million each \u2014 is one way Kate can thank her husband for all he\u2019s done for her.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been her absolute rock. He\u2019s taken on more household duties, been caring for the kids, juggling more responsibilities,\u201d explains the source, adding that \u201cKate\u2019s diagnosis has brought them so much closer together. They take nothing for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n After months of uncertainty, they\u2019re thrilled that things have been moving in the right direction. In June, Kate released a statement revealing her treatment was \u201congoing and will be for a few more months.\u201d Though she was \u201cmaking good progress,\u201d she went on: \u201cAs anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. On those bad days, you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.\u201d However, she cautioned, \u201cI am not out of the woods yet.\u201d<\/p>\n The source admits there\u2019s an \u201coutside chance Kate may not feel up to the trip come September, though they\u2019re really hopeful that won\u2019t happen.\u201d Right now, she and William are staying positive, the source adds, and \u201clooking forward to forgetting about the pressures and worries they have at home.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nA Royal Treat for Kate Middleton<\/h2>\n
Kate Middleton and Prince William\u2019s East Coast Visit<\/h2>\n
Kate Middleton and Prince William\u2019s Sweet Escape<\/h2>\n