Kate Middleton is starting 2026 with a surprise!

Princess Kate joined Prince William for an unannounced visit to health workers at Charing Cross Hospital in London on Thursday, Jan. 8. The outing marked the couple’s first royal engagement of the new year and their first public appearance since their Christmas Day church outing alongside other members of the royal family.

According to The Sun, William noted the new year with a joke as he greeted staff and volunteers.

“Happy New Year,” the prince said before cheekily checking his watch. “Can we still say that?”

Kate Middleton and Prince William visit Charing Cross Hospital in West London.Ryan Jenkinson / Kensington Palace

For the hospital visit, Kate wore a maroon suit with a burgundy blouse, coordinating shoes and a brown handbag. She also opted to skip wearing her engagement ring, sporting just her wedding band instead of her usual stack of several rings — likely due to hospital protocol.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, are joint patrons of NHS Charities Together and spent time talking to health workers about the pressures they face during the winter virus season. They met volunteers managed by the charity who help to improve care for patients and take pressure off the wider workforce.

Kate Middleton at Charing Cross Hospital.Ryan Jenkinson / Kensington Palace

Princess Kate — who announced her cancer diagnosis in 2024 and completed treatment later that year, announcing in January 2025 that she was in remission — also spoke to a volunteer who worked with chemotherapy patients, according to Hello! magazine. When the volunteer noted that patients and visitors would spend “hours” there, the royal replied, “I know,” before touching her husband’s arm and adding, “We know,” in a rare comment on her own cancer journey.

The Princess of Wales noted that working in a hospital can be “quite a daunting experience” and emphasized the staff and volunteers get support, per The Sun.

Meanwhile, William told hospital workers, “You should be very proud of giving your time.”

Kate Middleton and Prince William at Charing Cross Hospital.Ryan Jenkinson / Kensington Palace

NHS Charities Together represents over 220 NHS charities based in every NHS Trust and Health Board across the U.K., giving £1.5 million every day to the NHS. Through their work, NHS charities help to drive innovation, transform care and support staff well-being.

By investing in state-of-the-art equipment, buildings, green spaces and arts, they aim to improve care for patients and also lead prevention projects in the community that help people to stay well.

After chatting to staff, William and Kate took part in a roundtable conversation with NHS charity CEOs and Trustees, clinicians, patients and volunteers as well as policymakers and philanthropists, to discuss the benefits of giving to the NHS as part of the healing journey, as well as the change this can drive for healthcare.

During his previous engagement with the charity, William went to the hospital where Kate was born, in Reading, England. His March 2025 visit marked five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and during his outing, he paid tribute to the charity for the work it had done to help staff and patients.

Prince William and Kate Middleton visit Charing Cross Hospital on Jan. 8, 2026.Isabel Infantes – WPA Pool/Getty

The charity had generated $200 million to support patients, hospital staff and volunteers on the frontline of the health crisis over the years of the epidemic.

After their visit, Prince William and Princess Kate’s joint Instagram page shared photos from the outing and wrote, “A huge thank you to NHS staff and volunteers at Charing Cross Hospital, and across the U.K., whose tireless efforts continue to change lives, every single day. Proud to be Joint Patrons of @nhscharitiestogether and see how it [makes] a difference to the workforce and patients.”

Kate Middleton meets patients at Charing Cross Hospital.Ryan Jenkinson / Kensington Palace

Thursday’s outing is the first time Prince William and Princess Kate have been seen in public since Christmas Day, when they walked to and from church in Sandringham with other members of the royal family and their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.

They are believed to have spent much of the Christmas and New Year break at their home at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

Kate Middleton and Prince William visit Charing Cross Hospital on Jan. 8, 2026.Isabel Infantes – WPA Pool/Getty

The children returned to their school on Jan. 7. On Friday, Jan 9, the family will celebrate Princess Kate’s 44th birthday.