How Prince William and Kate Middleton are ‘upping their game’

Kate Middleton and Prince William have kicked things up a notch, highlighted most recently by the princess’s recent jaunt to Italy, coming months after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest.

“She is our future queen,” the late monarch’s former press secretary, Ailsa Anderson, told People. “As Queen Elizabeth used to say, you have to be seen to be believed. She is glamorous, she is beautiful. She is warm and approachable.”

“On the back of the King’s successful visit to the States, William and Kate are upping their game.”

Middleton’s return to public life comes at a precarious time for the royal family.

King Charles, 77, is undergoing cancer treatment, and they are still navigating the embarrassing fallout surrounding the former Prince Andrew’s association with the late convicted pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein.

The disgraced royal was arrested on his 66th birthday on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly forwarding confidential trade documents to Epstein.

If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Mountbatten-Windsor was also accused of having sex with a minor, Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked by Epstein. He denied the charges but did make a multimillion-dollar payment to Giuffre.

Earlier this month, Middleton, 44, wowed the Italian public on her first overseas trip since her 2024 cancer diagnosis. She headed to Reggio Emilia for a two-day work trip alongside the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.

Middleton launched the foundation in 2021 to raise awareness on the importance of early childhood development and experiences.

Anderson explained that the tour was momentous.

“She knows the eyes of the world are on her,” she shared. “It is a clear signal she is back in business.”

Middleton has stayed under the radar since March 2024 after revealing she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment.

That September, she announced she finished her “incredibly tough” chemotherapy treatment, and four months later, shared she was in remission.

“The overriding concern from all quarters has been about her health and managing her eventual return to full-time duties,” Myers said. “She was given every assurance to take as much time as she needed, and this trip signifies that she is feeling better than she has in the last couple of years.”

King Charles recently completed a well-received tour of the United States, winning accolades for his moving speeches, but royal watchers are still looking toward the Waleses.

“Charles is the incumbent, but she and William are the future,” says royal author Russell Myers. “There is no institution without them.”

“There’s no denying that everyone concerned has been missing the princess’s star quality,” the “William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story” author added. “She is a huge draw wherever she goes. Catherine is undoubtedly a central force in the monarchy’s popularity and ability to achieve its goals and move forward. There is no better time for her to return.”

More trips are expected this year, including a possible stateside appearance by Prince William for the World Cup and the Earthshot Prize Awards in Mumbai.