Kate Middleton Reportedly Made an Appearance at a Private Engagement This Week

Kate Middleton has been on maternity leave since welcoming Prince Louis in April, but she reportedly made a rare appearance this week to handle some business. She and Prince William had a parting meeting with Miguel Head, who was stepping down as private secretary, Elle UK reports.

A note from the Court Circular, the official record of royal engagements, confirmed the meet-up. "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge this afternoon received Mr. Miguel Head upon relinquishing his appointment as Private Secretary to His Royal Highness," it stated, according to Elle UK.

Head had worked with the royal family for a decade, the Times reports. Considering his history with the family, it makes sense that Middleton broke her hiatus to see him off. He'll be replaced by Simon Case, a former private secretary to Prime Ministers David Cameron and then Theresa May.

Head, between Prince William and Kate Middleton, in New Zealand in 2014.

Besides the recent send-off meeting, the Duchess of Cambridge has been mainly missing from royal engagements since giving birth to her third child. Though she was riding with the Queen at Balmoral Castle last month, Kate's latest official event was in July, when she attended the Wimbledon finals with Prince William and sister-in-law Meghan Markle. (Kate is a royal patron of the competition.)

Days prior, she also made a surprise engagement appearance at the RAF centenary celebrations at Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Wimbledon men’s final

She's also attended family-related royal events, like Louis' christening, Trooping the Colour (which celebrates the Queen's birthday), and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding.

"It is traditional for new royal mums to take a six-month break from official engagements," royal biographer, Duncan Larcombe, previously told BAZAAR.com. "The wedding doesn’t count because it was a 'family affair' but other than that, she will pick and choose her engagements."

But don't expect Kate to overdo it with the surprise cameos. "If she wanted, Kate could disappear into the background until October!" Larcombe added.

Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now. 

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qa3RqZyrq5KWx6Kt0WeaqKVfmLKtscGroK2xX6GutbHSrWaaamNmfneFkGtmpJmkmnqutcOdo56sn6N6tLHCq5ytZZWjtKKzxKacp6xdlr2xscCrmKeblWQ%3D