In another sign of the progress she's making in her recovery following her cancer treatment, Kate Middleton apparently felt well enough after the holidays for one of her longtime favorite activities: Skiing.
According to the Mail on Sunday, Kate celebrated the new year by taking a skiing vacation in the Alps. Kate was joined on the trip, which reportedly happens "just over two weeks ago," by her husband, Prince William, and their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6.
Kate Middleton and Prince William posing with their oldest two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, during a private break skiing at an undisclosed location in the French Alps in March 2016.
The Wales family reportedly "slipped away" from Amner Hall, their country home on the Sandringham estate where the royal family celebrates Christmas, and were also joined by several members of the Middleton family on the trip, which the Mail report describes as having lasted "several days."
Once in the Alps, the royals apparently kept such a low profile that one member of the staff at a restaurant they visited multiple times on the trip said many people didn't even realize who they were.
"They looked like a normal English family, and a lot of people didn't recognize them. It was not the first time we had seen them," the staffer told the Mail on Sunday. "They have been coming here for years. I think they love the area. We often see Kate's sister Pippa as well."
This restaurant, which was once a shepherd's hut and is known for its cozy atmosphere and unique location, is apparently a favorite of the royals when they're in the Alps—and they're not alone in loving it. According to the Mail, it's situated at an altitude of more than 6,000 ft, and "can be accessed only by skiers who go down a red run, although visitors on foot who book a table can get a ride up the mountain to reach it in the restaurant's tracked snow taxi."
Another source, described only as an "onlooker," told the outlet about another Kate sighting at the restaurant during the trip, this time with her brother, James Middleton, who shared pictures, which it's now clear would have been taken on this trip, on Instagram earlier this month.
"James was there with his wife and then Kate arrived with Charlotte and Louis," the onlooker said. "It seemed like a bit of a Middleton family knees-up. Everyone seemed to be really happy."
Like the member of the restaurant's staff, the second source described the Wales family as being very normal and largely flying under the radar.
"There were no airs and graces and actually they seemed like any normal family enjoying a ski break. There were lots of laughs and the children were very polite," the source added. "The only reason you would have known that they were people of importance was because when Kate arrived so did a group of security guards. Kate looked like she was having a lovely time."
Kate and Will, sharing a sweet, playful moment during a family trip to the Alps in March 2016.
The staffer also stressed that the Princess of Wales seemed to be having a good time on the trip, saying, "It was lovely to see Kate relaxing and enjoying herself."