It has been revealed that Prince William held a secret meeting with the British Secret Intelligence Service shortly before his wife returned to the public eye.

When she attended the 2024 Trooping the Colour with the royal family, Princess Kate’s fans were overjoyed that she returned to an official engagement for the first time since announcing her cancer diagnosis, making headlines all over the world.

In her first public appearance since the cancer update, Kate Middleton demonstrated a calm determination. Just two days earlier, her husband had visited MI6, which deals with foreign intelligence and safeguards the UK from threats abroad. The trip was not made public in advance and was only mentioned in the court circular, which is the next day’s daily list of official royal engagements. The entry read simply, “The Prince of Wales visited the Secret Intelligence Service this afternoon,” but neither the location nor any additional information were provided.

It is understandable that the British Secret Intelligence Service is closely associated with the royal family. In the past, the late Queen and King Charles visited, and in 2019, William quietly worked with each of the UK’s intelligence services—MI5, MI6, and GCHQ—for three weeks. He did full-time work with agents and operatives to learn about their crucial roles. William made the following remarks at the placement’s conclusion:

“It was truly humbling to spend time inside our security and intelligence agencies and learn more about their crucial role in our national security. These agencies are full of ordinary people doing extraordinary work to keep us safe. They work behind closed doors, frequently unable to disclose the strains they endure or the work they do. They are motivated by unmatched patriotism and dedication to upholding this nation’s values. We all owe them a debt of gratitude for their risky and challenging work.”

The Telegraph reports that William spent his first week at MI6 to learn more about the organization’s network of spies and handlers, which is responsible for gathering foreign intelligence to protect Britain, identify and exploit opportunities, and navigate risks to its national security, military effectiveness, and economy from those who wish the UK harm.

According to a spokesman, the prince had seen firsthand how staff at the service, which was made famous around the world by the fictional James Bond franchise, operate. It is possible that he participated in new recruit training exercises in which they practice determining which threats to investigate and how to do so.

William spent the second week working with MI5, where he learned about how they use analysis and surveillance to conduct domestic counterterrorism investigations. The Duke was given an overview of the powers and tools the service has when investigating alleged terrorism, according to security sources who spoke to the Sunday Telegraph.