The reason behind William and Kate's 'private weekend' at Balmoral

The Prince and Princess of Wales have slowly returned to work this month after taking some time away from royal duties over the summer. Prince William and Princess Kate spent the school holidays with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and decided to have a 'carefree' summer after a difficult start to the year.

In March, Kate shared that she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment following the detection of cancer during a planned abdominal surgery months earlier. In September, the Princess confirmed that she has completed her treatment but acknowledged that a full recovery would take time. Although Kate quietly returned to work last week, William spoke at a recent event and stressed that she still 'has a long way to go'.

As speculation mounts over Kate's first official public appearance since her most recent health announcement, the Princess was spotted making a surprise appearance at Balmoral last weekend. She was photographed with her husband as they drove to Crathie Kirk in Aberdeenshire alongisde King Charles and Queen Camilla. According to reports, the couple opted for a quiet weekend in Scotland as a child-free getaway, with one source telling Vanity Fair that Kate looked 'remarkably well'. They claimed: "The Prince and Princess had a private weekend and appeared to be on good form."

According to the report, the Palace declined to comment on the trip given that it was 'private', but it goes on to say that the couple - who usually spend time in Balmoral with their three little ones - had decided to take some time for themselves, and it was their first trip without the young royals 'for some time'. It is understood that George, Charlotte and Louis remained in Windsor.

King Charles was also diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, and has been receiving treatment since February. While the monarch has not given a recent update on his health, the source claimed that he was on 'fighting form' last weekend, adding: "The King was also in very good spirits."