King Charles and Queen Camilla send special message to Princess Kate

Posting on the Royal Family's X and Instagram accounts, they wrote: "Happy Birthday to The Princess of Wales!"

Kate is celebrating her 43rd birthday today as she continues her journey of recovery from cancer treatment undergone in 2024.

Sources close to the princess emphasise her "unwavering commitment to duty and service" remains unchanged despite her illness.

Her team at Kensington Palace are planning for a welcome return to her early years childhood work in the near future.

Palace insiders stress the importance of getting her recovery right, ensuring she can thrive in her decades-long role in the public eye.

In recent months, the princess has been gradually resuming activities, including swimming and attending school events and children's sports clubs.

The Palace's measured approach emphasises the importance of a sustainable return to public life, focusing on the princess's long-term wellbeing rather than rushing back to a full schedule of engagements.

The princess is not expected to return to a full schedule of public engagements this year.

However, a Palace insider emphasises this approach represents "not a dialling down" of the royal's work commitments, but rather a "gradual return" to her public role.

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Sources are emphasising that the princess must take her time to fully heal, stressing there won't be a "big reset button" pressed because of the new year or birthday milestone.

The princess said in September: "Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus."

She 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."