Kate Middleton – latest: Prince William shares sweet message day after Princess returns to public duties

A new photograph of the Prince of Wales and his three children taken by the Princess of Wales has been released as a Father’s Day tribute.

The three youngsters declared: “We love you, Papa. Happy Father’s Day” in a personally-signed social media post.

Kensington Palace said Kate’s picture of William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis was taken on the Norfolk coast last month.

The post was the first time a message from the three children has been posted on the family’s social media accounts.

William’s Father’s Day message follows what has been a difficult year for the royal family.

The prince has balanced supporting his wife and family with maintaining his official duties.

Kate was initially admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery on January 16 and at the time her condition was thought to be non-cancerous, but cancer was found following the successful operation.

Charles was admitted to hospital just days after Kate, also for a procedure deemed unrelated to cancer.

In February, Buckingham Palace confirmed that he had been diagnosed with a form of cancer, which is not prostate cancer, that was discovered while the King was being treated at the private London Clinic for an enlarged prostate.

The Prince of Wales has shared a photo of him playing football with the King to mark Father’s Day.

The photo of William and Charles together in the gardens of Kensington Palace was taken on June 12 1984.

“Happy Father’s Day, Pa,” the social media post, personally signed by William, said.

The photo taken by the PA news agency shows an almost two-year-old William in short dungarees and a stripey blue top and the King in a grey double-breasted suit kicking a small football.

The Princess’s gradual return to public life may inspire patients going through cancer treatment, charities have said.

Dame Laura Lee, chief executive of cancer support charity Maggie’s, of which the Queen is president, said on Saturday: “Seeing Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales today was just lovely.

“As she said herself, today was a good day. By highlighting that there are good days and bad days, the Princess is helping to draw attention and normalise the reality of living with cancer.

“Our experts in our centres can help people navigate how to manage each day at a time and to live with the unexpected, just as the Princess is clearly doing – helping us all understand that cancer is not a straight line or a linear process.”

A spokesperson for Macmillan Cancer Support said on Saturday: “It’s an absolute pleasure to see her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales’ at Trooping the Colour today.

“As her Royal Highness said in her comments yesterday, cancer treatment can come with both good days and bad days, and I’m sure her attending the event will inspire so many people around the world who are managing the challenging effects of cancer treatment.”

The Princess of Wales’ return to public life for Trooping the Colour comes after six months of preventative chemotherapy.

In a statement ahead of the event marking the King’s official birthday, Kate said she is “not out of the woods yet”.

She has a few months of treatment to go for the unspecified form of cancer and said she has “good days and bad days”.

The Princess of Wales has promoted her long-time stylist Natasha Archer to a key position in the royal household.

Archer, who is credited with transforming Kate from a girl-next-door to a royal fashion icon, has been appointed a new role of senior private executive assistant to the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The 36-year-old noted her promotion at the royal household on LinkedIn, marking her departure from her former role as the couple’s personal assistant in which she had served since 2010.

Kate, 42, has been receiving treatment for an unspecified form of cancer since February, when the disease was discovered after she underwent abdominal surgery.

The senior royal made her first public appearance of the year for a traditional parade through London for the King’s official birthday celebrations.

A Shopify page that uses the Duchess of Sussex’s brand name is selling adult colouring books including one labelled “working class royalty” for between £8 and £16 depending on size, The Independent can reveal.

While the working class royalty colouring book is currently sold out, two financial planners are still available priced at £8 and £16 respectively.

The Princess of Wales’s appearance on the balcony for the King’s birthday parade was delivered in her hallmark style of duty and distance, but the pressure she feels to perform for us in public was there for all to see, says Tessa Dunlop: