I am thrilled Princess Kate is making public appearances again – she is a delight to work with

I AM delighted that Kate seems ready to go back on the road again.

Her appearance at the Cenotaph today is a sign that we will hopefully be seeing more of her next year.

She is always a delight to work with.

It was poignant that while in South Africa William was reminded of the Queen’s 1947 famous speech in Cape Town where she pledged her life – be it long or short – to her duty to her country and her people.

More than 85 years later her grandson has outlined his future – as a royal for the modern age.

Let’s not forget that King Charles was much more modern than his mother.

Although I photographed the King in Australia last month, even on the hottest of days he still wore a suit and tie.

But William is very much a modern-day man.

He dresses casually on royal engagements, often in chinos and an open shirt.

And we have seen him shouting and screaming from the stands at Aston Villa like any other football fan.

I have taken pictures of Catherine cheering on Roger Federer from the Royal Box at Wimbledon, though he is a family friend who was a guest at her sister Pippa’s wedding.

I can’t imagine the King doing that and the late Queen certainly wouldn’t have dreamt of it.

But when I hear William talk about his plans to maintain the royal family’s appeal in the 21st Century with less pomp and ceremony, I think he is following the lead of his mother, Princess Diana.

She broke the mould for how the royal family did things.

I remember she held the hand of a leper in Nigeria and shook hands with HIV patients in the Middlesex Hospital when everybody was nervous about this ‘plague’ that was sweeping the world at the time.

William watched Diana modernise the royals and he is continuing her work.