Princess Kate 'determined to remain in charge' as royal and William set to return to duties following break

In their return, William and Kate are set to visit Pontypridd in South Wales on February 26 ahead of St David's Day celebrations on March 1.

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond suggested that the Princess of Wales is in no rush to make a full return to public duties as she continues to prioritise health and her family.

Bond said: "We have already seen more of her than we expected in these early months of the year, so that augurs well.

"But I think she will be determined to remain in charge of her own schedule and she will dictate how much we see her on public duty, and how quickly she gets back to full-time work.

"And that is absolutely her prerogative after all she has been through."

Bond explained that Kate has "longed for sunshine" since announcing her cancer diagnosis in March last year.

She told the Mirror: "Catherine’s parents were there waiting for them, so they had the welcome advantage of a bit of extra childcare on holiday – as well as the fun of being with people they really love.

"Catherine talked about how she longed for sunshine during her treatment for cancer.

"So it makes perfect sense to head to an island where the sun shines all day and the sea is warm."

The trip clashed with the Bafta Film Awards, which William serves as President.

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The heir to the throne and his wife were never scheduled to attend the 2025 ceremony, with Keniston Palace confirming the couple would not attend prior to the event.

Bond added: "William has been president of BAFTA for 15 years, but he doesn’t attend the awards ceremony every year.

"And, in any case, I don’t think anyone would begrudge him and his family a week or so in the sunshine."