Real reason King Charles is working so much as Royal Family take new approach this year

Business as usual is very much the message the Royal Family is projecting after last years health woes. January got them off to a flying start, with the King, Queen and Prince and Princess of Wales conducting engagements up and down the country and theyve maintained the pace.

Charles, who is still having treatment for cancer, is determined to put the past 12 months behind him and focus on the future. Aides continue to insist that he is heading in a positive direction, and his busy schedule is surely a testament to that. Meanwhile, the Princess of Wales is continuing her gradual return to royal duties, having announced she is in remission from cancer and has racked up an impressive 10 engagements so far this year.

We will see her tomorrow at the Irish Guards St Patricks Day parade at Wellington Barracks in London in her role as the regiments Colonel. Meanwhile, Prince William is heading to Estonia on Thursday in support of British troops stationed at the front line of Natos defence against Russia. It will mark his first overseas trip of the year.

Then in three weeks, the King and Queen will head to Rome to resume a normal schedule of foreign tours despite Charles treatment.

The uptick in engagements both at home and abroad marks a concerted effort by the King to project a strong and stable monarchy after last years unprecedented health crisis threatened to destabilise the Firm so soon into his reign.

On a personal level, the workaholic Charles thrives on keeping busy, and its clear that hes at home when he meets new people.

His gruelling tours of Australia and Samoa last autumn were described as being the perfect tonic, with a senior palace official saying: "It is hard to overstate the joy that he takes from duty and service and being in public and seeing those crowds engaging with communities across the spectrum. That really does lift the spirits. You can see that.

As the royal diary continues to get thicker, the message to the public is clear: the top four are back and putting their best foot forward.

Cheltenham chic

Royal power couple Mike and Zara Tindall were kept busy last week as they attended the Cheltenham Festival every day. Equestrian Zara, who is a director of the Gloucestershire racecourse, looked effortlessly elegant in each of her carefully selected outfits.

From a mustard fascinator to a fitted pinstripe suit, the former Olympian nailed Cheltenham chic as she hosted guests at the popular racecourse.

At the festival, Mike revealed that he had never been into horse racing when he was younger, but marrying into a family of die-hard fans soon changed that!

More Meghan on the way

If you havent had your fill of all things Meghan Sussex, then youre in luck, as she announced the launch of her new podcast last week! The duchess will be chatting with female founders and friends about the successes and failures of building a business.

Sound familiar? Its not so very different from her first attempt at entering the podcast sphere, Archetypes, where she explored female stereotypes. It was axed after just one series.

Beckham's back!

Beckham's back again but this time without her beau.

Its raised eyebrows in royal circles just how frequently David and Victoria Beckham are popping up at events. In February, the couple were among the guests invited to Highgrove for a special Italian dinner ahead of the state visit next month.

Last year, they attended their first Buckingham Palace State visit when the King hosted the Amir of Qatar for a two-day state visit and the former England football captain kept cropping up at royal engagements.

But on Tuesday, it was his fashion designer wife who mingled with royalty, as she joined the Queen for a Women of the World reception at the Palace.

Baby joy

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Westminster, who have announced that they are expecting their first child.

Billionaire aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor, 34, married his wife Olivia, 32, in a spectacular ceremony at Chester Cathedral last June. The high society wedding of the year was attended by Hughs childhood friend, the Prince of Wales, who served as an usher.

William asked his pal to be godfather to his firstborn Prince George, so might Hugh be looking to return the favour when his child is born in the summer?

Next stop: Estonia

Next week Ill be filing my column from Estonia, where Ill be joining the Prince of Wales on his first visit to the country.

His whistle-stop trip will involve meeting Akir Karis, the President of Estonia, visiting the Mercian Regiment in his new role as their Colonel-in-Chief, and joining them for training under Operation Cabrit, the UKs contribution to Natos Forward Land Forces along the border with Russia.

While the visit comes at a politically sensitive time, as pressure mounts on European countries to increase their defence spending, aides have been planning the trip for over six months. But expect plenty of camouflage and some weapons-related picture ops.