Prince William and Princess Kate are heading to India.
Kensington Palace confirmed to USA TODAY on Sunday, Nov. 15, that Kate would be joining husband William at the sixth annual Earthshot Prize awards, marking their first joint overseas tour since Kate’s 2024 cancer diagnosis.
The three-day visit begins Monday, Nov. 16, with the environmental awards, which William founded, to be held on Tuesday, Nov. 17. The trip marks the pair's second official visit to the country, which they last visited in 2016.
During their time in India, William and Kate will undertake a range of engagements hailing innovation, sustainability, youth leadership and the bond between both nations, Kensington Palace said.
"We’ll celebrate the incredible people at the heart of
the Prize: scientists, entrepreneurs, community changemakers, Indigenous leaders and young climate leaders, all tackling the most urgent challenges facing our planet," the official Instagram account of the Prince and Princess of Wales posted.
Princess Kate has not attended the Earthshot Prize awards since the ceremony was held in Boston in 2022. Each year, in a different host city, the ceremony rewards ideas and solutions that will help protect the planet.
In remarks made earlier this year, William said he was "delighted" that Mumbai would host this year's Earthshot Prize, calling India one of the world's most "important forces for climate and nature."
Princess Kate's trip to India marks significant step in cancer recovery
William and Kate's last joint official tour abroad was in 2022, when they visited the Caribbean to mark the late Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, which celebrated her 70 years on the throne. The pair visited Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas on their first official overseas tour following the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted travel plans and royal engagements.
In 2024, the future queen stepped back from royal duties following her cancer diagnosis, forcing William to undertake a range of engagements, including the Earthshot awards, solo. Last year, the prince was in Rio de Janeiro for the ceremony, which was attended by celebrities, global leaders, investors and entrepreneurs.
This year, Kate, who revealed her cancer was in remission last year, has been returning to the demands of royal life with a busy summer schedule. The future queen has carried out numerous public engagements and family events, including the wedding of Princess Anne's son, Peter Phillips, to Harriet Sperling.
In June, Kate completed the Three Peaks Challenge mountain climb, to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. She said the quest was "a chance to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back."
The princess also took center stage in a stunning blue outfit at Trooping the Colour, an annual celebration marking the official birthday of King Charles. It was Kate's second Trooping the Colour appearance since announcing the disease was in remission.
Last month, William and Kate stepped out in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for their seventh visit to the country.
In an interview with Country Life magazine last week, the mother of three credited nature with supporting her amid her recovery, describing it as her "sanctuary," and a place she "instinctively wanted to go."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Princess Kate to join Prince William in India for major royal tour
