Kate Middleton's mysterious absence sparks questions; royal expert denies pregnancy rumours

Kate Middleton has not been seen in public for over two months, sparking all kinds of rumours including speculations that she is pregnant with her fourth child.

Senior members of the British royal family are getting back to work after spending their summer holiday at Queen Elizabeth II's Balmoral estate in Scotland. The Royal Household has announced numerous engagements involving different royals for the coming months, but the Duchess of Cambridge is not due to appear in any of them.

The 39-year-old made her last public appearance on July 11 when she attended the Wimbledon Men's Singles final, and later in the evening, a European Championship football match at Wembley with her husband Prince William. The Duke of Cambridge returned to his royal duties last week, as he marked Emergency Services Day in the UK by meeting firefighters in South London.

On Tuesday evening, he is scheduled to attend the "Who Dares Wins Awards" held in partnership with NHS Charities Together, but Kate will not be accompanying him even though they are joint patrons of the charity. The Duchess was in attendance at the recent private wedding of her brother James Middleton with Alizee Thevenet in France, but pictures from the occasion have not been made public other than a selfie of the bride and the groom.

Her continued absence, which comes months after reports that she was trying to conceive another child, has fuelled rumours that a royal baby might be on the way. The royal, mother to Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3, has been known to suffer from a severe form of morning sickness during her previous pregnancies.

However, royal expert Russell Myers dismissed the speculations, telling Today Australia, "I think this is a few people mischief-making, asking where the royals are."

"Well, I can exclusively reveal probably nothing. I think that the Duchess isn't pregnant, I think that some people have been asking the question of where has Kate been?" the royal commentator claimed, adding, "But where the truth really lies is they have been on holiday."

The last time Kate was MIA for a long duration, 41 days to be precise, was also when she was on a holiday with her husband in Wales last year.

Myers said about Kate's breaks from the public eye, "The Cambridges often go take the time out. There is normally an agreement between the press and the royals of if they are on holiday the kids don't get followed around. The photographers leave them alone during the holidays. They have been up in Norfolk. They have been chilling out, they have been up to see Granny in Scotland.