Prince William and Princess Kate will be joining the royal family for a major tradition this summer

The Princess of Wales returned to royal duty this summer, appearing in public for the first time since her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

The 42-year-old mother of three has been absent from public life since her diagnosis, taking a break from her royal role to focus on her recovery. And while Princess Kate is “not out of the woods”, she is said to be making “good progress”, attending both the Trooping the Colour parade in June, and the Wimbledon Gentleman's Singles Final in July.

Following an action-packed summer of events, the family of five is said to be taking a long break, expected to continue “living under the radar” as they give their children a much-needed distraction from their difficult year.

This reportedly involves a major royal tradition, with The Mail on Sunday confirming that the Prince and Princess of Wales will be visiting the Balmoral estate in Scotland.

The annual trip to Balmoral is a staple in the royal calendar, with the Mountbatten-Windsors choosing to spend their summers there - a tradition started by the late Queen Elizabeth.

Prince William and Princess Kate are regular visitors to the Balmoral estate, even owning their own property on the premises - Tam-Na-Ghar, allowing them to operate independently and get some much-needed privacy during their stay.

“William and Kate will be joining the Royal Family at Balmoral,” a source told Express earlier this summer. “It will be a rather low key affair this year where everyone will meet to just relax and unwind."

It was previously reported by insiders that the Wales family may have to skip their Balmoral holiday, with their attendance dependent on Princess Kate’s health. Therefore experts are taking this news as a sign that the Princess of Wales’ recovery is going well.

It is not known when the Princess of Wales will return to her royal duties on a permanent basis, but it is thought that it could be as late as 2025.

"I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months," Princess Kate announced in a public statement on her health earlier this year. "It really has made the world of difference to William and me, and has helped us both through some of the harder times.

"Thank you so much for your continued understanding," she later added. "And to all of you who have so bravely shared your stories with me."

We will continue to update this story.