The Princess of Wales has been “sighted” repeatedly over the past week by people who have never heard or seen a camera or a smartphone. She reportedly even popped into a fancy grocery store in Norfolk just long enough for Prince William to buy some chocolate, but not long enough for any bystander to see her or take a photo or video. On the same day last week, royal insiders insisted to multiple American publications that Kate has been out and about, running errands and spending time outdoors with her family. Personally, it felt like all of that was in reaction to a curious exclusive in the Daily Beast the previous week, in which “royal sources” fully admitted that Kate probably would not be seen publicly for the whole year. Well, after last week’s insistent briefings of Kate’s errand-running, Us Weekly’s cover story this week is all about how… Kate probably will never come back to the “royal role” in the same way. Some highlights:

They’re still insisting that Kate is on the road to recovery. During recent weeks, she’s been spotted running errands with family members and by herself. “Kate’s feeling strong enough to be very involved with the kids,” an insider exclusively shares in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “She’s been an active parent.” Adds a second source: “Kate’s recovery is going well. She’s not able to see many people because she is susceptible to getting sick and they don’t want her compromised, but she’s up and about.”

A return to royal work? Still, questions about her return to royal duty remain in the air, with the latest reports claiming she won’t resume work until the fall or even next year. “We have been really clear that [Kate] needs the space and the privacy to recover right now,” said the Palace, adding, “She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors.”

A different kind of role: According to the second source, Kate’s team is “reevaluating what she’s going to be able to take on when she comes back,” noting, “She may never come back in the role that people saw her in before.”

The “lucky break” of the general election: The reprieve is a welcome one for the couple. “The announcement that the royals won’t be able to work as much has been unexpected, but it will allow Kate and William to spend more time together,” says the second source. “They’ve been reconnecting and are closer than ever.”

The Waleses are spending time at Anmer Hall: “They’re spending a lot of time as a family there,” the second source says. George, Charlotte and Louis will soon be off school for half term, “and they have lots of fun things” in the works, says the first source. When she’s not on mom duty, Kate’s been keeping busy cooking and baking. Adds the second source: “It’s one of her [favorite] activities.”

The Middletons are a constant presence: Their inner circle is small and tight. Kate’s mom, Carole Middleton, and her sister, Pippa, “are a constant presence,” says the second source. (Kate was spotted driving with her mother in early March.) “The Middletons have always been very close,” adds royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams. “The royal family has to be terribly careful about [who they let in], but Kate knows who to trust.”

Fitzwilliams on whether KP will release another video: Fitzwilliams believes that the public will likely be updated on her return date if she remains sidelined into the fall. “I hope [by then we] would have heard when it is appropriate from Kensington Palace because lessons should’ve been learned from what happened earlier,” he explains of the conspiracy theories that arose in the lead-up to Kate’s video message. “If you’re not told at all, and months pass, there’s clearly speculation, and that could happen again. So I’m sure that it will be handled differently.”

Kate must consider how much she wants to take on once she’s fully recovered. “Her role may look very different,” says the second source. “She’s looking at what it will shape into.”

[From Us Weekly]

“If you’re not told at all, and months pass, there’s clearly speculation, and that could happen again.” It’s already happening again. The past two weeks have felt like we’re right back to where we were in early March, with ridiculous “sightings” of Kate and crazy claims about when and where she might turn up. The public has not had a credible sighting of Kate in public since CHRISTMAS. And all of the palace briefings about “she’ll be out until autumn” and “actually she might never come back” have not inspired a lot of confidence. It feels likes the seasoned pros of Buckingham Palace took over in mid-March and currently, Kensington Palace’s clowns are trying to wrest the narrative back. All of which to say… it’s concerning.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, screencaps courtesy of KP/BBC and cover courtesy of Us Weekly.