The Princess of Wales visited Windsor Castle on Tuesday, just hours before missing out on a white-tie event held at Buckingham Palace.
As recorded in the Court Circular, Princess Kate paid a special visit to the Berkshire royal residence for a meeting with her Early Years team. The royal mother-of-three is passionate about the early years and set up the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in June 2021 alongside her husband, Prince William.
The Centre aims to drive awareness and action on the impact of the early years in order to transform society for the future. In 2023, Kate went on to launch the Shaping Us campaign which has been described as her "life's work" and is aimed at raising the profile of the crucial period of a child's development, from pregnancy to the age of five.
Last year, Princess Kate delivered a passionate speech explaining why she's dedicated her time to "helping the most vulnerable and supporting those who are most in need."
She continued: "This is not just about the youngest children in our society, who are, by their very nature, vulnerable. It is also about the many young people and adults who are suffering.
"We must do more than simply meet the short-term needs of these individuals. We must also look at creating long term, preventative change. And that takes us right back to the beginning."
Kate added: "It isn't enough therefore to simply wish for a better world. We must acknowledge and address the root cause of some of today's toughest social challenges and work together to find better answers."
Despite stepping out in Windsor Castle, the Princess of Wales did not attend the white-tie diplomatic reception held later that evening – the first time she's missed the reception in a decade.
The Prince of Wales was instead joined by King Charles and Queen Camilla who mingled with around 900 guests. Attendees at the reception included foreign ambassadors and high commissioners based in the UK, their spouses or partners, and diplomatic staff, with the event usually including a buffet supper and dancing.
The reception was a glitzy affair with tiaras and sumptuous outfits in abundance. Dressed to impress, Queen Camilla, 77, dazzled in a royal blue velvet evening dress crafted by Fiona Clare. Her Majesty, who recently recovered from a chest infection, accessorised with diamond drop earrings and Queen Elizabeth II's small aquamarine and diamond tiara.
The delicate headwear – sometimes known as the aquamarine ribbon tiara – features five large aquamarines set in intricate ribbons of diamonds. It is believed to be the first time Camilla has worn the jewellery.
King Charles, meanwhile, looked smart dressed in white tie with traditional knee breeches and buckled shoes.
It's believed that the Princess of Wales is concentrating on her upcoming Christmas carol service which will take place at Westminster Abbey on 6 December.
"Kate's very aware of what the future holds so she's taking the time to focus on getting fit and strong again while she can and doing it on her terms," royal biographer Robert Jobson told HELLO!.