Kate Middleton and Prince William are making pretty big changes to the Wales household

25 July 2024, 11:47 | Updated: 25 July 2024, 12:03

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge may have scaled back their royal duties for now but they have some big plans on the horizon - so what are the changes and new projects?

Kate Middleton and Prince William have had a tough 2024 so far with the Princess of Wales's cancer treatment and King Charles's own health battles.

However, despite the scaling back of royal duties, things in the Wales household have had some pretty big changes behind-the-scenes and it all points to exciting things happening in the future.

With Prince William's recent annual salary being revealed at £23.6million, only boosting his incredible net worth even more, the father of three has been using part of his earnings to launch new projects as well as increase his staff.

• Listen on Global Player, the official Heart App: The Sports Agents with Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman

So why have Kate and William been making big changes to their household? And what projects are they launching? Here's everything we know about what's been happening out of the public eye.

Kate and William hire 16 new members of staff

The Prince and Princess of Wales have seriously upscaled their workforce in the last 12 months hiring a total of 16 new members of staff to work in their office in Kensington Palace.

The latest royal accounts show their household has risen from 50 to 66 staff, with new hires including a new Private Secretary for both of them.

Of course this is a reflection of their new royal titles after moving up the line of succession, but it's also said to be a representation of their growing activities.

• READ MORE: Princess Charlotte beams proudly at mum Kate Middleton in sweet Wimbledon moment
• READ MORE: Prince George is the spitting image of Prince William in new birthday picture

As reported by Hello! Both Kate and William have promised to remain loyal to their major projects which includes the Prince's Earthshot Prize and the launch of his homelessness initiative, Homewards, in June 2023.

While Kate has taken an important step back to focus on her health, she too remains strong on her wishes to support The Centre for Early Childhood.

Both Kate and William will also be taking on a number of small new roles to reflect their new titles as Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall.

Kate and William seek unique skill for new team member

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis's parents staff expansion isn't quite over yet as they seek a special role with a rather unique skill.

With the posting now closed, Kate and William are hiring an Assistant Private Secretary for Wales & UK who must speak and write Welsh.

As their connection with the country is more important than ever, the ideal candidate with have a strong understanding of Welsh affairs as a whole.

Prince William himself has been attempting to learn the language showing the communities they're taking their new roles very seriously.

Prince William and Kate Middleton tease 'exciting new project'

As if all the staffing changes and charity projects weren't enough, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall have now teased one new 'exciting project' in particular.

Their latest initiative, funded out of their own pockets, is said to be focused around mental health and rural communities.

Strong advocates for the importance of looking after our minds, Prince William has said: "It's time that everyone speaks up and really feels very normal about mental health, it's the same as physical health.

"Everybody has mental health and we shouldn't be ashamed of it and just having a conversation with a friend or family member can really make such a difference."

READ MORE:

• What happened to King Charles' fingers?
• Is the royal Gold State Coach made of real gold and how much is it worth?
• How King Charles broke royal balcony protocol for Kate Middleton at Trooping the Colour