Kate Middleton marked the next stage of her return to royal duties when she and Prince William joined the King and Queen in Scotland (Image: Getty Images)Sign up to our free email to get all the latest royal news and picturesMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Sign up to our free email to get all the latest royal news and picturesInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeKate Middleton marked the next stage of her return to royal duties earlier this week, when she and Prince William joined the King and Queen at Crathie Kirk in Balmoral while they continued their annual stay in Scotland. The decision to travel to their beloved retreat, which came after Kate, 42, revealed she had completed her chemotherapy treatment, was unexpected but ultimately an encouraging surprise, a leading royal expert says. “I must admit, I was quite surprised to see William and Catherine back up in Balmoral so soon,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively tells OK! “We don’t know whether they had the children with them, but their visit underlines how important they feel it is to spend time with Charles. It’s been a few weeks since they’ve been together and I’m sure William in particular feels he wants to stay in close touch with his papa – particularly as the King continues his cancer treatment.”
The decision to travel to their beloved retreat was unexpected
(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
The Princess of Wales recently said she has finished chemotherapy and was “looking forward to being back at work
(Image: PA)
Of course, this close father and son relationship isn’t the only one which will have been a balm to the monarch over the past nine months. Quite apart from the fact that both the King, 75, and Kate were diagnosed with cancer at a similar time, their bond supersedes that, with Charles frequently referring to Kate as his “darling daughter-in-law”. Reflecting on what these ties will have meant for the pair, Jennie says, “Catherine and Charles have a really special relationship, which has undoubtedly been made even stronger by their common experience of cancer. So I think it’s not so much the magical pull of Scotland that took them up there this time, but rather the fact that she and William want to share time with the King. Hopefully the children were with them, which would have given Charles and Camilla a huge amount of pleasure. It’s another good sign about Catherine’s progress that she feels strong enough to travel north, Jennie adds, referring to the princess’s slow and steady return to duty. “Obviously it’s much easier travelling as a royal than as an ordinary person, but all the same, it takes a certain amount of effort to up sticks for a weekend visit and to put yourself on show as they did on the drive to church. It was good news to see her there again.” Sign up to OK!’s royal newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
Kate’s Christmas carol service is an annual event
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The visit came after the positive update in Kate’s recovery, which had seen her admit that her experience with cancer has been “incredibly tough”, forcing the family “to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown”. After saying that she is doing all she can to remain cancer free, the princess added, “Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes. I am, however, looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.” If there is one thing for certain, the princess’s mind has already turned to the matter, after it emerged she has started to hold meetings at Windsor Castle on both her passion for early years development and the return of her annual Christmas carol concert. The service – which has typically been held at Westminster Abbey – will be the fourth time the event takes place and will no doubt have an added emotional resonance given the dark and difficult times the princess and her family have been through over the past year.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnKate MiddletonPrince WilliamChristmasKing Charles IIIQueen Camilla
