Kate Middleton Continues Special Birthday Tradition with George, Charlotte and Louis amid Her Recovery

The Princess of Wales got behind the camera for each of her children's birthdays this year as she continues cancer treatment

Kate Middleton is keeping up with a longtime tradition as she continues treatment for cancer.

On July 22, Princess Kate and Prince William issued a new picture of Prince George in honor of his 11th birthday, and there's a special sentiment behind the portrait of the young royal. The image released directly to social media on George's birthday was taken by the Princess of Wales, 42, as she continues treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer diagnosed earlier this year.

A self-described "enthusiastic amateur photographer," Kate also took Prince Louis' 6th birthday in April and Princess Charlotte's 9th birthday in May. Princess Kate is known for her photography hobby and has taken many of the photos released for her children's birthdays through the years.

In a health update that confirmed she would attend Trooping the Colour on June 15, her first public appearance since the cancer news announcement, Princess Kate described her treatment as "ongoing" and mentioned that she enjoyed spending time on things that bring her joy when she feels able.

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"My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months," she said in the message. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home."

Photography may be one of those interests, as the Princess of Wales (who majored in art history at the University of St. Andrews and is patron of the Royal Photographic Society) was also credited with snapping the beach family photos of Prince William and their three children for Father's Day on June 16 and his 42nd birthday on June 21.

Before Prince Louis' birthday on April 23, uncertainty swirled around whether the Prince and Princess of Wales would release new photos to celebrate their children's birthdays this year, a tradition they've maintained since George was a baby. In March, Kate released a rare statement after a photo taken by William of her and their kids to mark Mother's Day in the U.K. was removed by multiple news agencies due to suspicions of manipulation.

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused," Princess Kate said in the message.

The royal mom continued to take all three of her children's birthday pictures, which were circulated in a new way. In the past, Prince William and Princess Kate almost always shared the portraits on the eve of their children’s birthdays, but published the pictures this year on their kids' actual birthdays.

It's understood that the new protocol introduced when Louis turned 6 stemmed from a desire for privacy after Princess Kate announced on March 22 that she was undergoing treatment for cancer. She expressed that sentiment in her self-written speech.

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"We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment," she said in the video message.

After appearing at Trooping to celebrate King Charles' official birthday and attending Wimbledon with her daughter Charlotte and sister Pippa on July 14, the Princess of Wales will likely retreat from the public eye for some time, as the royals traditionally do during the summer months.

While Princess Kate would usually attend the Wimbledon finals with Prince William, he took Prince George to watch England's soccer team play in the UEFA European Championship against Spain in Berlin on July 14. The family of five (little Louis stayed home!) was soon reunited, and are now looking ahead to a summer of seclusion, privacy and continued healing for Kate.

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The Waleses are likely to spend much of it at their country home Anmer Hall, close to the beaches of north Norfolk, where the family enjoys outings and boating. A late-summer stay at Balmoral Castle hosted by King Charles, who is facing his own cancer treatment, will be factored in too.

"She won’t have to be on center stage," a palace insider tells PEOPLE about Princess Kate's summer plans. "Being with her family and just being herself will give her energy. There will be plenty of time to focus on her recovery."

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