Kate Middleton is officially back for royal duty

And she looks more Duchess like than ever...

And she looks more Duchess like than ever...

The Duchess of Cambridge’s past year has undoubtedly been busier than most, from the arrival of Prince Louis to her sister Pippa Middleton’s pregnancy, so it’s hardly surprising that she has taken a long maternity leave.

In fact the only times we’ve seen the Duchess in the past few months have been Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Windsor Castle wedding and the Queen’s official birthday celebrations, the Trooping of the Colour.

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This week it was announced however that Kate Middleton’s six month maternity leave was over, with the Duchess of Cambridge returning to royal duties for her first official engagement yesterday.

'The Duchess of Cambridge will visit the SC Trust Forest school and Wildlife Garden at Paddington Recreation Ground on Tuesday 2nd October,’ Kensington Palace announced in a statement. And after looking at the photographs, we don’t know what we’ve done without her.

A photo posted by on

‘Storytime with St Stephen's School as The Duchess of Cambridge joins the children to listen to the Monkey Queen,’ captioned a series of stunning photos of the Duchess wearing the iconic boots that she has had for years. ‘Today The Duchess of Cambridge saw the positive impact Sayers Croft Trust's activities have on children's emotional and physical wellbeing.’

A photo posted by on

Kensington Royal then uploaded a video of the Duchess at her first engagement. 'Making leaf crowns with St Stephen’s School,’ the video was captioned. ‘The Duchess of Cambridge sees an example of the positive impact Sayers Croft Trust's activities have on children's emotional and physical wellbeing.’

A photo posted by on

‘The Duchess of Cambridge joins St Augustine’s Primary School for a spot of gardening,’ read the final caption. ‘One of many activities organised by Sayers Croft Trust to give inner city children a unique opportunity to learn about and engage with the natural world.’

Welcome back Kate! We’ve missed you!

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.