Kate Middleton recently reportedly held a private meeting with a high-profile American guest, Melinda French Gates, at Windsor Castle. The interaction highlights the British royal’s efforts to stay busy despite the lack of scheduled public engagements.
Kate Middleton reportedly had a meeting with Melinda French Gates
The Princess of Wales hosted Melinda French Gates at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Middleton met with the philanthropist in her role as patron of the Royal Foundation. Co-founded by her husband and fellow patron, Prince William, it addresses issues like early childhood, homelessness, conservation, and mental health. Court Circular, the official record of past royal engagements, later recorded this meeting.
However, the specifics of their get-together are unclear. Moreover, photographs were also not shared. It’s likely that they convened to discuss charity. Gates, who formerly co-founded the Gates Foundation with her ex-husband and Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, before resigning from her role as co-chair, represented Pivotal Ventures. This is a group of organizations focused on accelerating the pace of social progress for women and youth, both in the United States and around the world.
This marked Gates and Middleton’s second face-to-face interaction. They previously got together for a private discussion at Windsor last year, around June 2025. In it, Middleton represented the Royal Foundation.
Notably, the meeting is reportedly an example of Middleton’s private approach to royal life. While speaking with Hello! Magazine‘s A Right Royal Podcast, Catherine Mayer, who authored the book, Divide & Rule, noted that Middleton has smartly “[adapted] to the institution.”
She elaborated, “That does not mean that I think she has it easy. [But she has done] very little speaking and almost no confessional spilling of anything about who she is. She’s quite enigmatic.”
Mayer also stressed that Middleton and Prince William carefully selected their friend group, choosing individuals who do not interact with the media. “They are carving out a very private life in the public eye, which is an enormously difficult thing to do,” she further emphasized.
Originally reported by Abdul Azim Naushad on Mandatory
