Prince William's secret meeting with MI6 before Kate Middleton's huge royal return

The Prince of Wales met with members of the Secret Intelligence Service in June, two days before Princess Kate stepped back into the spotlight at a high-profile royal event

Prince William took a secret meeting with the British Secret Intelligence Service shortly before his wife's return to the public eye, it has been revealed.

Princess Kate delighted royal fans when she joined the royal family for the 2024 Trooping the Colour. It was the first time she had taken part in an official engagement since sharing the news of her cancer diagnosis, and her return made headlines around the world.

Just two days earlier, her husband had visited MI6, which deals with foreign intelligence and protects the UK from risks abroad.

The trip was not publicised in advance and only appeared afterwards in the Court Circular, a daily list of official royal engagements, which is published the next day. The entry simply read: "The Prince of Wales this afternoon visited the Secret Intelligence Service" with no location or additional details given.

William has visited M16 on a number of occasions, including a trip with Kate in 2012, and again in 2022.

Understandably, the royal family has a close connection with the British Secret Intelligence Service. Both the late Queen and King Charles have visited in the past, and in 2019, William spent three weeks quietly working with each of the UK's Intelligence Services – MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. He worked full-time alongside operatives and agents to get an understanding of their crucial roles.

Speaking at the end of the placement, William said: "Spending time inside our security and intelligence agencies, understanding more about the vital contribution they make to our national security, was a truly humbling experience.

"These agencies are full of people from everyday backgrounds doing the most extraordinary work to keep us safe. They work in secret, often not even able to tell their family and friends about the work they do or the stresses they face."

He added: "They are driven by an unrivalled patriotism and dedication to upholding the values of this country. We all owe them deep gratitude for the difficult and dangerous work they do."

According to the Telegraph, William's first week was spent at MI6 to learn in detail the reality of its network of spies and handlers who are tasked with gathering foreign intelligence to protect Britain.

A spokesman said the Prince had seen first-hand how staff at the service, made famous around the world by the fictional James Bond franchise, "identify and exploit opportunities as well as navigate risks to its national security, military effectiveness and economy from those who wish the UK harm".

It's thought he took part in training exercises for new recruits, in which they practise identifying which threats to investigate and mapping out how to do so.

William's second week was spent with MI5, focused on how they run counter terrorism investigations on home soil using "analysis and surveillance". Security sources told The Sunday Telegraph that the Duke was given an overview of the powers the service has and the tools at their disposal when investigating alleged terrorism.

His third and final week,meanwhile, was spent on assignment at GCHQ in Cheltenham, where he "spent time with those using cutting-edge technology, technical ingenuity and wide-ranging partnerships to identify, analyse and disrupt threats".