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Prince William and Kate return from summer holiday with George and Charlotte

August 9, 2016

Short but sweet, the Cambridges are back in the UK following a summer holiday in France. Sources confirmed to HELLO! that Prince William and Kate, and their young children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, returned last week.

The family came back ahead of William's return to shift duties at the East Anglian Air Ambulance charity, where he works as an air ambulance pilot.

It is thought that the royals were away for just over a week, as they were spotted touching down at the small south-western airport of Pau-Pyrenees on Tuesday 26 July.

© Photo: Getty Images

The Cambridges touched down in the UK last week

The Cambridges arrived in style, flying in on the £8million Cessna private plane owned by their family friend the Duke of Westminster.

According to local publication La République des Pyrénées, the royals were swiftly moved into two waiting blacked-out Range Rover cars that were also registered under the Duke's name.

While very little is known about the private getaway, William and Kate were said to be visiting friends in France.

© Photo: Getty Images

The family spent just over a week in France 

Local newspaper Sud Ouest also reported that the royals "spent a night" – potentially longer – at the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz, where a basic room costs £422 a night. The five star establishment was famously used as Emperor Napoleon II's summer palace, where he would holiday with his wife, Eugenie de Montijo, and on the website it is described as "neither passé or pompous but profoundly elegant".

It's unclear which type of room William, Kate and their children stayed in, but the hotel's Imperial Suite costs £3,304 for bed and breakfast in the month of August.

© Photo: Getty Images

William and Kate will go on a tour of Canada in autumn

With no official engagements until the end of this month, the family are no doubt enjoying the rest of their summer in private. William and Kate are due to go on a tour of Canada in the autumn; it is unknown whether they will take their children George, three, and one-year-old Charlotte.

The Duke and Duchess recently accepted the invitation from the Canadian government. A Kensington Palace statement noted that the couple "look forward to exploring more of Canada, from British Columbia to the territory of Yukon, when they return this autumn".

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