Catherine will make her first official overseas trip with Prince William in four years when she joins him in Mumbai tomorrow.
The Princess of Wales is set to add further star power to William’s Earthshot Prize as the couple begins three days of public engagements across India.
Aides told The Mail on Sunday that Catherine was eager to accompany her husband because she is “incredibly proud” of what he has built through the international environmental awards.
The couple’s most recent joint royal tour was in December 2022, when they travelled to Boston for the Earthshot Prize. Catherine, 44, underwent major abdominal surgery in early 2024 and was subsequently diagnosed with cancer, for which she received treatment.
She has spoken candidly about the physical and emotional impact of her illness. Last week, she revealed that doctors told her in hospital that her recovery “would not be linear” and would include both “good days and bad”.
As she gradually resumed her full-time duties, Catherine made a cautious return to international travel with a brief visit to Italy in May, representing her Centre for Early Childhood.
She is understood to have felt “buoyed” by the success of that trip. Although Our News Outlet reported in the spring that she hoped to accompany William to India, Kensington Palace waited until this weekend to confirm her attendance.
Catherine is also understood to have wanted to ensure that her eldest son, Prince George, was settled as a full-time boarder at Eton College before committing to the visit.
The Princess of Wales will join Prince William in India for her first official overseas trip with him in four years. The couple are pictured at the Taj Mahal in 2016.
Catherine is said to be eager to support Prince William because she is “incredibly proud” of the international impact of his Earthshot Prize. William is pictured speaking at the Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly in London in June.
The Princess of Wales wanted Prince George to be settled at Eton College as a full-time boarder before confirming that she would make the trip. George is pictured arriving at the school with his parents in September.
During their last visit to India in 2016, William and Catherine travelled to Mumbai, New Delhi and Agra, where they visited the Taj Mahal. They also attended a Bollywood charity gala in a brightly decorated tuk-tuk and played cricket at the Oval Maidan.
Kensington Palace has finalised an updated schedule for the couple only in recent days. Catherine’s spokesman told the MoS: “The Princess is delighted to be joining the Prince in India for such an important moment in his year.
“The Earthshot Prize means an enormous amount to him, and she is incredibly proud of what it has become. She wants to be there to support him.
“Earthshot has grown remarkably since she last attended the awards in Boston in 2022, and this promises to be its biggest and most ambitious year yet.
“They both have such fond memories of their last visit to India in 2016 and are really looking forward to returning together, celebrating the extraordinary innovation taking place there and meeting the inspiring people behind it.”
A source added: “We’re delighted the Princess is joining us, and I think it’s going to be a fantastic few days.”
William remains one of the royal family’s biggest draws, but Catherine’s presence is expected to give the visit an even greater international profile.
The couple are scheduled to attend at least nine engagements from Monday to Wednesday, covering sport, culture, sustainability, youth leadership and the longstanding relationship between the United Kingdom and India.
The palace has promised several high-profile appearances, including a Bollywood-themed event celebrating India’s vast Hindi-language film industry and a game of street cricket.
The centrepiece of the visit will be Tuesday night’s Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, which will be streamed worldwide on Amazon Prime.
To mark the couple’s appearance, Mumbai will illuminate some of its most recognisable landmarks in green in what is expected to be the largest such display to date.
Take That will perform in India for the first time, while the royal guests will be joined by leading figures from music, film and sport, including Sachin Tendulkar, Rami Malek and Simone Ashley.
For the first time, the awards ceremony will be available to a worldwide audience across more than 240 countries and territories, with coverage offered in 40 languages on Prime Video.
