The Princess of Wales's return to her duties may still be months away despite her being the "driving force" behind a brand-new report whilst she continues to undergo cancer treatment.
The new report "calls on businesses to introduce more family-friendly ways of working," in line with her work with the Royal Foundation’s Business Taskforce for Early Childhood.
© GettyHowever, despite the Princess's passion for the subject, according to the Mail's Richard Eden: "Friends I spoke to in the past few days suggest we might not see Catherine again until the autumn – and only then if she has recovered fully. e might not see Catherine again until the autumn – and only then if she has recovered fully."
He added that a spokesperson stressed this should not be seen as a sign that she will be returning to work any time soon.
© GettyEarlier this week, Kate was reported to be "excited" by the new initiative. Christian Guy, Executive Director of The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, said: "I know, having briefed The Princess on this, that she is enormously grateful to the members of the Taskforce who have made such fantastic progress on this work over the past year.
"She feels passionately about the transformational impact of getting this right together, both for the current generation and for many more to come. I know that she is keen to encourage all businesses, no matter what their size or purpose, to join us on this journey and is looking forward to seeing momentum grow in the coming months."
He added: "She's excited by it. Shaping Us was about awareness but also for her, what's so important is action, so to have eight of the most significant businesses in Britain come forward and make the case to their fellow business leaders is vital. It's exciting for her and it's a priority going forward for our Centre's work. And when she launched it, she really challenged businesses to go beyond the usual thinking."
The Princess is currently undergoing preventative chemotherapy following her abdominal surgery in January.
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In March, she announced news of her treatment to the world in a brave video message, during which she gave no indication as to when she would return to her duties, and asked for "time, space, and privacy" whilst she completes her treatment.
Kate also emphasised the importance of her work in the video. Adding: "My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery."
