Princess Kate Shares Glimmer of Hope in Inspiring New Message

Princess Kate told the Irish Guards in a new letter that she hopes to be able to represent them again “very soon,” adopting a more optimistic tone about her future return to work.

The Princess of Wales has been off royal duties receiving chemotherapy for cancer and as a result she couldn’t attend the Colonel’s Review, a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour, King Charles III’s birthday military parade.

She wrote to the Irish Guards in her capacity as their colonel to apologize for not being there to take the salute.

Kate’s use of the phrase “very soon” in the letter struck a more optimistic tone than the one she adopted during an announcement about her cancer diagnosis on March 22.

It may be tempting to interpret this as a sign her comeback may be approaching, but the palace has always been clear her actual return to work will have to wait until she is given the all-clear by doctors.

The choice of phrase is hopeful though—and it wouldn’t be unreasonable for fans of the princess to take comfort from it in the absence of a more concrete update.

Royal biographer Katie Nicholl, author of The New Royals, also said she believes Kate “has turned a corner,” during an appearance on Talk TV show The Royal Tea in May.