Princess Kate is set to return to royal engagements later than initially thought, according to a new report.
The Sunday Times' Royal Editor Roya Nikkhah exclusively revealed after speaking with the Princess' friend and advisor that when Kensington Palace announced Kate would begin work after Easter, this did not mean immediately after the Easter weekend.
Instead, she will resume her royal duties sometime after her children's Easter holiday at Lambrook school, which ends on 17 April, although no exact date or engagement has yet been announced.
Kate's health has been the cause of much speculation since she was hospitalised for abdominal surgery back in January, news which surprised royal watchers.
Concern for the royal mum-of-three was exacerbated last weekend after a Mother's Day image of the mother-of-three was pulled from photo agencies due to being Photoshopped, with the Princess releasing a rare social media statement to apologise for editing it.
© GettyKensington Palace has always maintained that the Princess would not be seen in public before Easter, stating: "We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant."
Their original statement about Kate's health, released on 17 January, read: "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery.
© Shutterstock"The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery.
"Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter. The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate.
© Getty"She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.
"Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress when there is significant new information to share. The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."
© GettyThe last time Kate was seen in public with her family was when she attended church on Christmas morning at Sandringham along with her husband, children, and their extended family, as is royal tradition.
While she hasn't been taking part in royal engagements since then, The Times also reports that the Princess has been seen at her children's school.
© Getty"Kate has been at Lambrook to support the children," reads the report, which also adds that Prince William cheered on his daughter, Princess Charlotte, at a football match on Thursday.
© GettyWhile the Princess of Wales has kept an incredibly low profile, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have obviously remained her priority – with a particular effort made to keep up the family's 'normal routine' at home.
The Prince and Princess of Wales made a major change to their royal lifestyle in 2022 when they uprooted their lives at Kensington Palace in favour of Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
