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NEED TO KNOW
- Kate Middleton met Melinda French Gates at Windsor Castle in her role as joint patron of the Royal Foundation
- French Gates represented her organization Pivotal, which focuses on advancing social progress for women and youth globally
- The Royal Foundation addresses issues like mental health and early childhood, hinting at shared philanthropic goals in their meeting
Kate Middleton had an under-the-radar meeting with one of America’s most influential philanthropists at Windsor Castle
A new entry in The Court Circular revealed that the Princess of Wales, 44, met up with Melinda French Gates earlier this week on Tuesday, June 23.
“The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron, the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, this morning received Ms. Melinda French Gates (Founder, Pivotal) at Windsor Castle,” Kensington Palace shared.
The Court Circular is the British royal family’s official record of previous royal engagements and Princess Kate met the billionaire philanthropist in her role as joint patron of the Royal Foundation that she runs with Prince William.
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The Royal Foundation is the couple’s primary philanthropic and charitable vehicle through which they focus their work in conservation, early childhood, emergency responders, homelessness and mental health, and the mention that Kate met with French Gates, 61, in her patron role hinted that the organization’s work was on the agenda.
Meanwhile, French Gates attended representing Pivotal, the organization she founded in 2015 to accelerate the speed of social progress for women and youth in the U.S. and around the world through philanthropy, investments, and advocacy.
“I believe the only responsible thing to do with these resources is to give it away — as thoughtfully and impactfully as possible,” she exclusively told PEOPLE in 2025. “One of my core values has always been to whom much is given, much is expected.”
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French Gates left the Gates Foundation, which she founded with ex-husband Bill Gates, in 2024, to focus on her own philanthropic endeavors and her current estimated net worth is $19.4 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Exactly a year ago, she met with Prince William and Princess Kate at Windsor Castle at Windsor Castle in June 2025, and where they similarly represented the Royal Foundation and Pivotal, respectively.
“The Prince and Princess of Wales, Joint Patrons, the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, this afternoon received Ms. Melinda French Gates (Founder, Pivotal) at Windsor Castle,” that entry said.
Source: https://people.com/kate-middleton-quietly-meets-melinda-french-gates-windsor-castle-12006487