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The Princess of Wales carried out a private engagement at Windsor Castle on Monday, with the behind-the-scenes meeting potentially offering a clue about projects she may be preparing for the future.
Kate, 44, welcomed Sarah Henwood, Chief Executive of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s Royal Foundation, for discussions at the royal residence.
Sarah became the Foundation’s new CEO in February, succeeding Amanda Berry, who had held the position since 2022.
When her appointment was announced, Sarah spoke of her enthusiasm for becoming involved in William and Kate’s “remarkable initiatives”. Her latest meeting with the Princess could therefore signal that further developments connected to the couple’s work are on the horizon.
Kensington Palace formally recorded Kate’s private meeting in the Court Circular, the official record of royal engagements.
The entry stated: “The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron of the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, this afternoon received Mrs Sarah Henwood (Chief Executive) at Windsor Castle.”
Prince William also undertook a discreet engagement on Monday, with no photographs from the meeting made public.
The Prince of Wales remained at Windsor Castle for his own official duties, chairing a meeting of The Prince’s Council, the board responsible for the Duchy of Cornwall.
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Ahead of officially taking up the position in February, Sarah spoke publicly about her enthusiasm for joining the Royal Foundation, describing the opportunity on LinkedIn as one that filled her with “awe, excitement and a fresh energy”.
Her new professional chapter also came with a change in how she would be known publicly. Sarah announced that she would use the name Sarah Henwood in her Royal Foundation role, rather than Sarah Rose, the name she had previously used online.
Writing about the appointment on LinkedIn, she said: “I take up the reins as CEO of The Royal Foundation in February with awe, excitement and a fresh energy to play my part in the brilliant and important work the team there are already doing.”
Sarah also explained that she intended to become more active on LinkedIn as part of her new position, using the platform to highlight the work being carried out on behalf of William and Kate.
She wrote: “I am not a big poster on LinkedIn, but I will use this platform going forward to shine a light on some of the remarkable initiatives the Foundation is working on for the Prince and Princess of Wales.”
Since taking up the role, Sarah has followed through on that promise, regularly posting about the couple’s projects and describing her position at the Foundation as “extraordinary”.
Marking World Suicide Prevention Day earlier this month, the former Paramount president reflected on the responsibility that comes with the organisation’s reach. She shared: “I have felt from day one at The Royal Foundation the privilege of the platform we have and the critical importance that we use it well.”
The Royal Foundation brings together many of the causes at the heart of William and Kate’s public work. These include the Princess’s longstanding focus on the Early Years, alongside the Prince’s environmental efforts through the Earthshot Prize awards.
The Princеss of Wales’s busy schedulе
The Princess has maintained a particularly active schedule in recent weeks, with details of another previously private engagement recently coming to light.
It was revealed that Kate had welcomed participants from the Three Peaks Challenge to Windsor Castle, where she hosted a surprise tea party in recognition of their efforts.
During the Windsor gathering, Kate welcomed the Three Peaks Challenge participants into the royal residence, where they reflected on their mountain-climbing experiences while enjoying tea and cake together.
The private reception followed just a day after the Princess travelled alone to Southend-on-Sea for an engagement with the Forward Trust marking Addiction Awareness Week.
Kate had also joined Prince William at the Digger premiere in London’s Leicester Square the previous week. There, she reunited with Tom Cruise, who made a courteous gesture by offering the Princess his hand as she carefully made her way down a set of steps.
