It’s the end of the summer holidays and the Prince and Princess of Wales will be sending their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, back to school this week

The Princess of Wales will have ‘conflicting emotions’ about her children’s return to school, a royal expert says.

Like many parents this week, Prince William and Kate are sending their kids, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, back to school after their summer holiday. The royal trio have enjoyed a relaxing break at their Norfolk home as well as a trip to Balmoral.

But now, hands-on-mum Kate will be making sure they all have the correct uniforms and equipment ready. It will also offer the mother-of-three some time to recuperate. But it’s not all excitement for the Princess as she is likely feeling ‘torn’ over the milestone, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond says.

Speaking to OK! Magazine about Kate’s emotions, Jennie said: “I think that, like most mums, Catherine will have conflicting emotions about the end of the school holidays. Entertaining three children day after day – especially when there must still be days when she is feeling the effects of her cancer treatment – can’t always have been easy in these past few weeks.”

As the Waleses get back into a daily routine, Kate will be able to find time to recuperate, Jennie said, adding: “It will give Catherine the chance to rest quietly when she needs it without feeling guilty that she’s not with the children, and it will also give her the opportunity to continue the work that she has been doing behind the scenes on the campaign and projects that mean so much to her.”

Kate has been largely absent from royal duties this year as she recovers from treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. In recent months she has made public appearances at Trooping the Colour and Wimbledon, which were her first since her diagnosis was announced in March.

The Princess took the rest of the summer off to spend time with William, George, Charlotte and Louis. Of her absence, Jennie added: “I hope very much that she is not feeling guilty about her prolonged absence from the public stage. I hope she realises that the vast majority of the public completely understand that she needs time and privacy to regain her strength.”

William and Kate recently interrupted the last days of their summer holiday to send a rare personal message to Team GB’s Paralympics team ahead of the Games. They tweeted on X: “Looking forward to another few weeks of incredible sport! Wishing the very best of luck to our @ParalympicsGB athletes and all those competing at #Paris2024.” The post was signed off by W&C.

Earlier in the month, the royal couple appeared in a video to congratulate Team GB athletes on their performance in the Paris Olympics. Kate said: “From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB.” William then chimed in: “Well done on all you’ve achieved, you’ve been an inspiration to us all.”