Secret signs Kate Middleton is preparing for life as queen after ‘absolutely devastating’ year: sources

Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three young children started Christmas early this year at their multi-million dollar country estate.

They skipped the traditional festive lunch at Buckingham Palace on Thursday with King Charles and the rest of the extended royal family, instead hunkering down at Anmer Hall in Norfolk after what a family friend called “an incredibly difficult time.”

William, 42, has dubbed this year “brutal” after the Princess of Wales’ battle with cancer took her largely out of the public eye for the past 12 months — and led to wild public speculation.

Kate has now finished her chemotherapy treatment and the couple is at home with their kids, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and 6-year-old Prince Louis.

“No one could have expected what this year has brought for the Prince and Princess of Wales,” said the friend. “Family is so important to them, and the children are the center of their universe.

“They wanted to start celebrating early. They’re focused this Christmas [season] on being with the family at home and then joining the rest of the Windsor family on Christmas Day. The Prince of Wales has said this has been the hardest year of his life.”

Given that he was just 15 years old when his mother, Princess Diana, died in August 1997, that is truly saying something.

“I’m told she’s getting better and that’s indicated by slightly more frequent appearances … but it’s clearly been absolutely devastating and very difficult for her, and she’s not out of the woods yet,” Hugo Vickers, noted royal historian and friend of the family, told Page Six.

The ramifications of these past 12 months are far reaching for Kate and William — who live with the knowledge that, as Prince and Princess of Wales, they are potentially just a heartbeat from becoming King and Queen, particularly as King Charles continues his own treatment for cancer.

Should she be called upon sooner rather than later, “Catherine is as ready as she will ever be to be queen,” said Vickers.

Sources told us King Charles was “exhausted” following the end of his nine-day trip to Australia and Samoa in October with Queen Camilla, during which he paused his treatment.

“He looks quite knackered up close and red around the eyes and thinner,” said one royal insider who has seen Charles recently, “Especially for someone who normally looks so vigorous, but I suppose it’s only to be expected after 10 months of cancer treatment.

On Friday, a Buckingham Palace source confirmed to Page Six that the 76-year-old monarch will continue his treatment into the next year, but said it was still a “very encouraging status quo.”

The King’s health is still being “managed” but is “moving in a positive direction,” the source added. His Majesty intends to return to a full program of public duties next year. This will include “exciting” UK and international visits in the first half of 2025, the insider said.

Charles, in fact, joked that he was “still alive” as he gave high-fives during a final engagement before Christmas on Friday in north London with Camilla.

As for William, “He must try to be positive,” said Vickers. “But he must be under tremendous stress — not only is his father ill, but the Prince of Wales, throughout history, doesn’t know what morning he will wake up and find himself King.”

We’re told that after finishing treatment a few months ago, Kate is still on a “phased return” to work that will continue well into the New Year, and there are no joint travel plans in the year ahead for the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Although, sources say the British Foreign Office would love to see them come to the US in 2026 for the World Cup and to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence,

“There is no big reset button to go back to where they were before,” said the friend.

“Cancer is a leveler and every family around the world has someone who has been touched by that disease themselves, so we can all relate to what the Prince and Princess of Wales have gone through.

“But [Kate] has had to process her illness against the gaze of the world.”

Added Vickers: “Her health comes first, that point has been made very effectively — and, of course, her children.”

Kate, we’re told, has been seen privately with her children in the Home Park at Windsor, close to the family’s Adelaide Cottage, as well as on the school run and at school events.

Over the past few months, the 42-year-old royal has also made a few public appearances, culminating at the annual carol service she hosted at Westminster Abbey earlier this month, “Together at Christmas.”

It was an emotional affair, though one guest told us, “You wouldn’t know to look at her what she had been through.”

William, who remains estranged from his younger brother Prince Harry, has been taking on more statesman-like responsibilities, as seen by his 11th hour trip to Paris for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral earlier this month, when he met with President-Elect Donald Trump.

Trump said they had a great talk, telling The Post that William is a “handsome” guy.

“I asked him about his wife and he said she’s doing well. And I asked him about his father and his father is fighting very hard, and he loves his father and he loves his wife, so it was sad,” he added.

Speaking to British media while on tour in South Africa in November, William said trying to get through everything had been “incredibly difficult.”

“Honestly, it’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life,” he said.

“But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”

For all the bad, this year has allowed the public to see a new, human side of William and Kate.

Never before known for being overly emotional or unguarded, it was a bare-faced Kate, dressed down in jeans and a Breton top, we saw in a video released in March to announce her cancer diagnosis.

She had been hospitalized for almost two weeks at the private London Clinic after having major abdominal surgery in January, and her announced disappearance from the spotlight prompted a surfeit of wild rumors.

Bethan Holt, fashion director at the UK Daily Telegraph, told Page Six that the casual outfit showed that Kate had gone back to “who she really is as a person, away from all the royal fanfare and the pomp.

“Those are pieces that you turn to if you’re going through a really difficult time with your health, so it’s quite relatable,” said Holt, who pointed out that, when Kate did step out in public for events like Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon, this year it must have been “utterly exhausting to really give us that vision of the Princess of Wales the world expects.”

For the family’s Christmas card that was released Thursday, Kate chose a photo taken from the September video in which she announced she had finished treatment in September. It shows Kate and William dressed casually and cuddling with their children.

“There has been a real change this year from Wiliam and Kate,” said the royal insider, “Their openness is fresh, they leaned into that, and I do think it’s really resonated with people.

“They have a long game ahead and it would be inauthentic to pretend everything’s OK.”

The family friend noted that, “You’ve not been hearing from a Kensington Palace spokesperson, you’ve heard directly from Catherine. It’s a real step forward that they are speaking directly to the public. You are hearing more of her voice and that will only continue, I’m sure.”

William is being urged to keep bringing in his younger relatives to help with public duties, and he invited his cousins, including Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Zara and Mike Tindall, to co-host a garden party this summer.

“We need more of them — more energized younger members of the family,” said Vickers.

The eyes of the world will be on the family on Christmas Day, for the much-photographed annual walk to church at Sandringham.

“Christmas is a big deal as they will all be appearing together after this year of turmoil,” said Holt, who pointed out that Kate has been showing she is ready to be queen by wearing more jewelry from the late Queen Elizabeth II.