This week, she hosted her first official work meeting in more than nine months.

 

The Princess of Wales began her measured return to public duties with a meeting at Windsor Castle for her ‘Early Years’ project on Tuesday – a week after revealing she has finished her course of ‘preventative’ chemotherapy to tackle cancer.

 

Royal fans will be hoping that she will soon be seen enjoying herself again at public-facing engagements – such a year ago this month, when she burst into a fit of the giggles.

 

During a visit to Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset on September 18, 2023, Kate tried on a life jacket and was rather surprised when it rapidly inflated after she pulled the toggle.

 

 

 

The Princess, who was made commodore-in-chief of the Fleet Air Arm last year, was shown the piece of kit during a training exercise with Navy Survival Equipment Technicians.

 

Kate put the initially plain-looking camouflage green jacket over her shoulders and fastened it with guidance from the instructors.

 

One of the technicians then demonstrated to Kate how to pull the cord to activate the jacket.

 

With a big grin, the Princess then tugged at the toggle and closed her eyes as the device inflated quickly and with force, just as it would in an emergency situation.

 

As the bright orange fabric puffed up around her neck, Kate was caught by surprise and burst into a fit of giggles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the exercise, technician Louise Evans-Hughes revealed she knew exactly what was going to happen the moment the life jacket inflated.

 

She said: ‘I told the princess there might be a bit of a bang because sometimes when the Velcro rips open there is a bit of a noise.

 

‘I think that was why she was a bit apprehensive to pull it. As soon as she pulled it, it inflated.

 

‘I gave the Princess the option whether she wanted to put it on or whether one of my colleagues would put it on.

 

‘I didn’t know if she would or not, but it was really nice that she got hands-on and got really engaged in what we do and making the kit work.’

 

Describing the princess’s reaction to the life jacket inflating, she said: ‘I see it a lot when we train the air crew pilots so it’s something that I see all the time so I knew what was going to happen and it was quite nice to watch her face.

 

‘I think afterwards she said it was quite snug and didn’t realise how big it was going to go and I quickly let some air out so she wouldn’t be uncomfortable.’

 

 

The princess was delegated as commodore-in-head of the Armada Air Arm in August last year – a title recently held by Sovereign Andrew before it was taken from him.

 

Kate likewise took on the place of Regal Privileged Air Commodore at RAF Coningsby, a title recently held by Sovereign William, who played out the part at the Lincolnshire base for a very long time from 2008.

 

The princess has family associations with the RAF as her fatherly granddad filled in as a military pilot during WWII and flew with the late Duke of Edinburgh during the 1960s.

 

Chief Peter Middleton – who was Ruler Philip’s co-pilot on trips across South America during a regal visit – kicked the bucket at 90 years old in 2010, only days before the Sovereign and Princess declared their commitment.