The Duchess of Cambridge's absence from public duties over the summer holidays was described as "not unusual" by a royal commentator after several media outlets questioned Kate's whereabouts. Over the school summer holidays, Prince William and Kate spent time with their three young children, with the Duchess returning to her royal responsibilities last Wednesday with a visit to RAF Brize Norton.

       When asked by ITV's royal editor Chris Ship if certain media outlets had been "unfair" to question Kate's absence, royal commentator Lizzie Robinson said: "I don't think it's any great surprise that we didn't see her, we don't usually see them during the summer holidays.

       "They take some downtime with the children to spend with them while they're not at school and it's not unusual.

       "She is back out and about, first engagement this week and I think we will now see a fair bit of her over the coming weeks."

       Kate travelled to RAF Brize Norton on September 15, to meet military personnel who had helped evacuate Afghan civilians from Kabul following the Taliban takeover.

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       During her visit, she viewed the aircraft carriers and heard of the emotional toll that Operation Pitting had on those involved in the evacuations.

       Between August 13th-28th, British military personnel helped evacuate over 15,000 British nationals and eligible Afghans and their families.

       Following Kate's visit, Wing Commander Kevin Latchman described the Duchess as "very sympathetic", and spoke of her desire to hear about the impact the operation had on young children and babies.

       Before her engagement with RAF Brize Norton, the Duchess of Cambridge had not been seen in public for over 60 days.

       Over the summer holidays, she has spent time with her three children, Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three.

       Along with Prince William, the family were spotted sailing along the Norfolk coast, near their country home at Anmer Hall.

       Kate is known for her love of sailing, previously working as a skipper during her gap year at university, and has been taking her young children out to sea.

       The Cambridges have also recently returned from the south of France, where they attended James Middleton's wedding.

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       Kate's brother married his partner Alizée Thevenet on September 11 in an intimate ceremony at a town hall in Bormes-les-Mimosas, known for being one of the most beautiful villages in the Cote d'Azur.

       The couple had been forced to postpone their wedding twice due to Covid-19 restrictions.

       James Middleton's wedding marked a milestone moment for William and Kate's youngest son, Prince Louis, who enjoyed his first trip abroad.

       Other guests at the wedding included Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews, and Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton.