Prince William and Kate Middleton are "making their presence felt" as Harry and Meghan prepare for their first joint engagement since returning to the UK. The Prince and Princess of Wales have kept a "packed" schedule, including red-carpet appearances, ahead of an upcoming trip to India for the sixth Earthshot awards ceremony in Mumbai.
Earthshot trip signals return to joint public duties
While Kensington Palace has yet to officially confirm the visit, royal biographer Russell Myers suggests the trip represents a significant milestone for the couple, who have been purposefully attending engagements together in recent weeks.
The author of William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story believes it's "no coincidence" that the couple are undertaking more joint engagements. Speaking to Vanity Fair, he said: "William and Catherine have quietly supported each other away from their public life over the last couple of years due to Catherine's health crises and the king's health woes, but what they have really missed is supporting each other in public. Now we are seeing a return to that."
Soft-power roles highlighted
"The palace and Foreign Office are planning various official engagements while the couple are in [India], highlighting the prince and princess's soft-power roles," Myers added. "The British government will see this as a chance to secure some form of diplomacy, and they will be doing other engagements outside of Earthshot."
The royal correspondent went on to suggest that while the couple "don't see life as a competition with the Sussexes", an insider has revealed how the pair are asserting their prominence. The source said: "It's no coincidence that William and Catherine are doing more together."
"They want their roles to be very clearly separate from what Harry and Meghan are doing, and the brief from them is to stay focused on their work and causes and not be distracted by anything else," the source continued. "They are making their presence felt and at a time when it matters."
Sussexes' first joint engagement in Nottingham
This comes as Harry and Meghan are set to visit Nottingham on Thursday for their first joint engagement since relocating back to the UK in August. The Sussexes will call on three charities supporting young people and local communities in the city, which holds cherished memories for the couple. The location is said to be particularly meaningful to them, having been welcomed by excited crowds in Nottingham's Lace Market in December 2017.
According to a report in The Sunday Times: "They are looking forward to getting back out there, into the community, together."
Despite suggestions that William has been "derailed" by Harry and Meghan's return and their engagement plans, Myers noted that the Wales' are "focusing on what they care about." He stated: "They don't see life as a competition with the Sussexes. The Sussexes are here doing their thing. William and Catherine are doing what's in front of them and focusing on what they care about."
