Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, makes tentative return to work after finishing chemotherapy

A handout photo released by Kensington Palace shows Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, who celebrates her 40th birthday on January 9, in Kew Gardens, London, Britain

Britain's Princess of Wales has taken a first step towards returning to her work on the early-years development of children, a week after announcing she had completed chemotherapy.

Catherine, 42, also known as Kate, held a meeting at Windsor Castle, west of London, with staff from the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, the organisation she established, on Tuesday.

The meeting was listed in the Court Circular, the official record of engagements carried out by members of the royal family, which was published in The Times newspaper on Wednesday.

The issue of childrens' early development has been described as mother-of-three Catherine's life's work by aides.

Catherine, a future queen who is married to heir to the throne Prince William, has appeared in public on only a few occasions since the start of the year, when it was announced that she was due to have abdominal surgery.

That announcement was followed in March with the shock revelation that she was undergoing a course of "preventative chemotherapy" for an undisclosed cancer.

She said last week she had finished the treatment and was "looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can".

The announcement in a highly emotional video came after her father-in-law, King Charles III, 75, was given the light to resume public duties in April after his own cancer treatment.