Princess Kate returned to Windsor Castle just hours before missing royal event for first time in a decade

The mother-of-three has made early years development a cornerstone of her public work, establishing the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in June 2021 alongside Prince William.

The Centre focuses on raising awareness about the crucial impact of early years on society's future.

In 2023, Princess Kate launched her Shaping Us campaign, described as her "life's work", focusing on child development from pregnancy to age five.

The princess has been vocal about her dedication to supporting vulnerable children and creating lasting change.

Kate said in a 2023 speech: "This is not just about the youngest children in our society.

"It is also about the many young people and adults who are suffering."

She emphasised the need for preventative measures, stating: "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."

The Windsor Castle meeting came just hours before a significant diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace, from which Princess Kate was notably absent on Tuesday evening.

This marked the first time in a decade that the princess had missed the prestigious annual event.

The Prince of Wales attended without his wife, joining King Charles and Queen Camilla at the grand gathering.

The reception welcomed approximately 900 guests, including foreign ambassadors and high commissioners based in the UK.

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Princess Kate is understood to be focusing on her upcoming Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on December 6.

Royal author Robert Hardman stated that Kate's return to public duties will be gradual, potentially beginning with office-based early years work in 2025.

He said: "There will be a gradual scaling up of her activities in the new year, perhaps with some office-based engagements relating to her early years work.

"The Palace will be keen to manage expectations. If she did start returning to major social events, that would lead people to think things are back to normal, which isn't the case. So I think there's no pressure on her to do that."