Kate Middleton Reportedly Met With Melinda French Gates Again: What We Know

Princess Catherine, like many other Brits, tried to keep things low-key during the historic June 2026 heatwave. While the future queen didn't have any official royal engagements on her calendar in late June, she did make an exception for one Melinda French Gates. While the palace didn't actually announce this clandestine meeting, eagle-eyed journalists spotted it on their official records for that week, known as the Court Circular. While no one has any clue as to what the two women discussed during their meeting, Kate Middleton is known for her inspiring charity work, as is Gates. The Court Circular indicated that the Princess of Wales met with the dedicated philanthropist in her capacity as a patron of the Royal Foundation, which focuses on conservation, homelessness, emergency responders, mental health, and early childhood. 

Gates' own philanthropic organization, Pivotal Ventures, focuses on equality for all and providing women with the tools to become independent. Needless to say, their interests certainly align, so the two women probably discussed how to make the world a better place over a cup of (iced) tea. Melinda famously told People in 2025 that she believes riches shouldn't be hoarded but rather used to help others. "I believe the only responsible thing to do with these resources is to give it away — as thoughtfully and impactfully as possible. One of my core values has always been to whom much is given, much is expected," Gates argued at the time. Royal watchers were excited to hear about the meeting, with many offering praise for both women on social media. "Princess Kate and Melinda French Gates are two beautiful people who genuinely want to help people and make a difference in the world," one such fan wrote on Threads.

While Melinda French Gates' June 2026 meeting with Princess Catherine made its fair share of headlines, it wasn't the first time the two met up. Kate Middleton had a secret meeting with the billionaire in July 2025 as well. Again, it was kept on the down-low, with wide-ranging theories as to what the two women might have discussed. That meeting was especially significant at the time because it marked the Princess of Wales' return to royal duties after she took extended time off to recover from cancer. It was also Catherine's first engagement as an official patron of the Royal Foundation. While the 2025 meetup was likely the first time the two women joined forces, as far as the public knew anyway, Prince William previously made Gates' acquaintance in 2014 when she was the recipient of the Chatham House prize, which he presented to her. 

The Prince of Wales praised the former Microsoft employee's "vision, commitment and unstinting generosity," in his speech, per Express. Another royal who has worked with Gates is none other than Meghan Markle, but it wasn't in her capacity as a senior member of The Firm. Back in 2024, about four years after Meghan and husband Prince Harry's abrupt exit from the U.K., the Duchess of Sussex joined forces with Gates and longtime pal Oprah Winfrey to do some good in honor of International Day of the Girl. The Sussexes' own Archewell Foundation teamed up with Pivotal Ventures and Winfrey's Charitable Foundation to support #HalfTheStory and Girls Inc., which aimed to empower young girls to use technology to their advantage as they grow up.