LONDON — Prince William and Princess Kate are entering a pivotal new season determined not to let Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's return to Britain distract them from their own path forward, according to royal insiders, even as the Sussexes' presence in the country promises to complicate the family's public calendar in the months ahead.

The comments come as William and Kate say a poignant farewell to Prince George this week, marking his first day at Eton College, the prestigious Berkshire boarding school William himself attended as a teenager. The milestone arrives alongside what royal sources describe as a broader shift for the couple, who appear more united than ever as they resume official duties following their summer break, and just weeks after Harry and Meghan's unexpected return to the U.K.

Robert Jobson, author of "The Windsor Legacy," told Hello! that William and Kate remain firmly focused on their long-term trajectory rather than reacting to developments involving the Sussexes.

"They are on a clear path and they're thinking about what their future is going to be," Jobson said. "They're focused on the kids and their projects. They are on a steady path which leads to the ultimate job, the top job. Now they're next in line, they're facing what their position will be, and that will be essentially to prepare the reign that they want and how they want to do it. William will take the lead, but it's going to be a team effort."

Jobson pointed to the couple's public unity as evidence of their strengthened partnership.

"I think they're certainly stronger as a couple, but also as a family unit," Jobson said. "You only have to look at them in public; they are very much a united couple and they're very much doing their job. They really haven't put a foot wrong. The way that Catherine has come back into the public eye........

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