Prince William and Kate Middleton join her parents on a skiing holiday

After six weeks abroad, Prince William has joined his wife and his in-laws in Meribel

After six long weeks apart, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have jetted off for a family ski trip to France.

Prince William has joined Kate Middleton and her parents, Carole and Michael, plus her younger brother, James, in Meribel in the Trois Vallees ski resort.

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Wills got back from his six-week tour of duty in the Falklands last week and was reunited with his wife as she rushed to meet him in the early hours of the morning at RAF Brize Norton.

A skier in the resort where the Duke and Duchess are staying said: 'They were sitting all together in an alpine restaurant half way up the mountain and looked very happy and relaxed.’

While Prince William was away, Kate undertook a number of public solo engagements, including two with The Queen and her first public speech. 

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In a rare interview, Prince Edward has been praising the new royal's transition to public life and said how 'proud' he and his family are of her.

'Catherine is doing very well. She has taken to royal life like a duck to water,' he told the Mirror.

'She's very gracious and the family is very proud of her. It was never going to be easy for Catherine as the whole world is watching her every move.

'She's dealt with it very well though and I think Catherine can only grow in confidence now her first official engagements are out of the way.'

Edward went on to say that he and the rest of the Royal Family are doing their best to look after the 30-year-old.

He said: 'My mother and father are understandably very protective of her. William's grown up with the attention but Catherine hasn't.

'But she's dealing with it very well and the family support her as much as we can.

'I think William and Harry, as well as my brother, have tried their best to make her transition into public life as gentle as possible.

He added: 'We were all thrilled to welcome Catherine into the family because she's absolutely lovely - very charming indeed and a perfect companion for William.'

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