A hand on the shoulder, and the other signs that might be missed by the untrained eye… but point to Kate’s recovery: REBECCA ENGLISH

After the year they’ve had, it was probably as close to the ‘new normal’ for the royal family as we’re going to get, at least for now.

Naturally, all eyes were on the Princess of Wales as she returned to the public eye in her most important official role since effectively retiring from royal life early this year following her shock cancer diagnosis.

Her warm smile and dazzling sense of style made us all realize how much Kate was missed, even if this particular princess wasn’t quite able to make it to ‘the ball’ (aka the state banquet).

MailOnline understands this is all part of her ‘gradual’ and measured return to work, balancing her commitments in general, but also this week specifically, between the state visit and her own annual Christmas carol service on Friday.

However, it was still a joy to see her looking so happy and healthy, as Prince William only discreetly placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder once, but otherwise happily let his wife get on with what she does best: shine.

There were also other ‘adjustments’ during the day, most notably for Queen Camilla, who had had to withdraw from the official ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards as she continues to suffer the side effects of what we now know as a nasty case of pneumonia.

Instead, she met the royal party at Buckingham Palace – an extremely sensible move for a 77-year-old suffering from such a debilitating viral infection under the circumstances – and announced a slightly abbreviated appearance at that evening’s glittering State Banquet.

Later, in the historic palace’s Picture Gallery, Old Masters looked down as the royal party viewed a noticeably smaller display of objects from the royal collection – including the late Queen Elizabeth’s speech during Qatar’s 2010 state visit – than in previous years .

Instead of several tables spanning a third of the length of the room, there were only two – as if the organizers were secretly keen to keep things moving at a slightly faster pace.

All this may seem insignificant to the untrained eye, but in royal parlance it is these small details that often paint the bigger picture.

It is important to emphasize that this is not a portrait of doom and gloom, far from it.

Cast your mind back to the beginning of the year, when King Charles and Kate were admitted to hospital at the same time: he for a prostate condition and she for serious abdominal surgery.

The blows kept coming thick and fast: within weeks, not only did we hear that doctors had diagnosed the monarch with an unrelated form of cancer, but the princess revealed that she too had been told that cancer was present and that it was on her At the age of only 42, she had to undergo preventive chemotherapy.

The nation was left stunned with shock, so soon after the loss of the steadying influence of Queen Elizabeth and the brave stoicism and seemingly infinite longevity of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

So it is in fact extremely remarkable that less than a year after these seismic – and potentially catastrophic – events, we have almost all members of our Royal Family on duty at the same time for such a diplomatically crucial event.

But it also underlines that, for now at least, we may have to cut them back a bit.

A source tells me: ‘It’s just a matter of adjustments given the specific challenges of this year. I don’t think this is a sign of things to come, but it is a necessity for where we are right now.”

At a time when recent discussions have focused more than ever on both the function of our monarchy and its financing, yesterday’s state visit highlighted more than ever why it is still our trump card in diplomatic terms.

A senior diplomat from Qatar recently told me that we should not underestimate the importance that their emir – educated in Britain and appointed at the Sandhurst Military University, and who spent the day beaming from ear to ear – has attached to It.

It is even considered a coup if his country becomes the first state in the Middle East to receive this honor.

This is of no small significance in Whitehall, where mandarins appreciate more than anyone the importance of the longevity of the Royal Family’s friendship with countries such as Qatar (which is currently investing heavily in British science and technology), especially given the extent of political instability that we have. seen in Britain in recent years.

It is worth noting that we are now our seventh Prime Minister in less than a decade, and only our second Head of State in seventy years.

And at the heart of it all is the King, a man who, while ‘living with cancer’ and still undergoing weekly treatment in London for the foreseeable future, has been stoically out and about from morning to night.

He leads a new royal family, one that is smaller and, yes, slightly more fragile than before, but has nevertheless demonstrated its continued relevance this week more than ever.

Just in a slightly different way than before.