The Princess of Wales will join Prince William in India for her first long-haul overseas visit since announcing her cancer diagnosis in March 2024, returning to major royal tours with three days of engagements centred on the Earthshot Prize in Mumbai.

Kensington Palace confirmed that the programme begins on Monday. Tuesday’s awards ceremony will see winners in five categories receive £1 million each for environmental projects. The couple are also expected to meet Bollywood stars, learn about India’s film industry and celebrate its passion for cricket.

For Kate, the visit marks a further step in her gradual return to overseas duties. She was successfully treated at the Royal Marsden hospital for an undisclosed form of cancer and announced the following January that she was in remission.

In May, after her two-day visit to Reggio Emilia in Italy to study its approach to early years education, William said she was “edging herself back” into overseas visits. He cautioned that royal travel took its toll and that they needed to “make sure she’s okay and rested”. The Mumbai programme therefore represents a return to long-haul engagements, not her first overseas visit since treatment.

Kate last attended Earthshot in Boston in December 2022. She subsequently travelled with William to Jordan for the crown prince’s wedding and made solo visits to France during England’s 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign as patron of the Rugby Football Union.

Their last major tour, to the Caribbean in March 2022, drew criticism over imagery described as colonial, although many Caribbeans welcomed them warmly. Some commentators saw it as a turning point, arguing that future Commonwealth tours would require greater sensitivity to racial equality following the Black Lives Matter movement.

The India visit will highlight sustainability, youth leadership and ties between the two countries. Launched by William in 2021, Earthshot seeks to identify environmental solutions and help expand their use. Inspired by John F Kennedy’s Moonshot challenge, it has staged events in London, Boston, Singapore, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro.

William and Kate will also attend the inaugural Children’s Earthshot Awards. The “I Can Earthshot Challenge” invited nine- to 17-year-olds across India to take practical environmental action. William has discussed the initiative with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Earthshot chief executive Jason Knauf said the children’s efforts demonstrated why local community action was vital to repairing the planet, giving the Mumbai programme a focus beyond its £1 million prizes.