Princess Kate Middleton turned heads at the annual Trooping the Colour event on Saturday, June 15, after sharing her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.The Princess of Wales was spotted in a carriage leaving Buckingham Palace with her three children, Prince George, 10, daughter Princess Charlotte, 9, and son Prince Louis, 6, ahead of King Charles III‘s official birthday procession through London.
Kate smiled and waved to the amassed crowd in a carriage behind King Charles and Queen Camilla. She and her children then disembarked the carriage to watch the official parade from the Horse Guards Parade in St. James’s Park.
Kate wore a white dress designed by Jenny Packham and a hat by Philip Treacy. She wore the Irish Guards’ official regimental brooch in honor of her position as Colonel of the Irish Guards.
Kate, 42, confirmed on Friday, June 14, that she would be in attendance.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” she said in a statement. “On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.”
Kate previously missed a rehearsal for the event, which celebrates King Charles’ birthday, and apologized for planning to miss the celebration.
“I wanted to write and let you know how proud I am of the entire Regiment ahead of the Colonel’s Review and Trooping the Colour,” the Princess of Wales shared via the Irish Guards’ X profile on June 8. “I appreciate everyone trooping this year has been practicing for months, and dedicating many hours to ensuring their uniforms and drill are immaculate.”
Kate is the honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards, so she sent her “very best wishes” and “good luck” in the social media post.
“Being your Colonel remains a great honor and I’m very sorry that I’m unable to take the salute at this year’s Colonel’s Review,” she concluded. “Please pass my apologies to the whole Regiment, however, I do hope that I am able to represent you all once again very soon.”
The Irish Guards responded to Kate’s letter, sharing their “best wishes” as her recovery continues.
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The Princess of Wales took a step back from her official duties in January after having abdominal surgery. In March, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer and would be extending her hiatus while undergoing chemotherapy treatments.
In a prerecorded video message, Kate confessed that the news came as a “huge shock” to her and her family. (She and Prince William, who tied the knot in April 2011, share son Prince George, daughter Princess Charlotte, and son Prince Louis.)
“William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” she explained at the time. “As you can imagine, this has taken time.”
Kate went on to emphasize the importance of time away from the spotlight as she recovered.
“I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body and spirits,” she said. “Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too, as is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you. It means so much to us both. We hope that you’ll understand that as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy, and I look forward to being back when I’m able. But for now, I must focus on making a full recovery.”
At the time, Kensington Palace noted that Kate would “return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team,” while William, 41, continued to “balance supporting his wife and family and maintaining his official duties as he has done since the start of the year.”
Royal expert Christopher Andersen predicted in May that Kate would not step out for Trooping the Colour this year.
“She may appear on the balcony; that’s not too much of a strain on her, I wouldn’t think,” he exclusively told Us Weekly at the time. “But [if] she doesn’t, it’s just going to look sad and odd and send the message [that] things are perhaps a little worse than we thought.”
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While Andersen understood that Kate had halted her royal engagements for the time being, he noted that it would be “quite a sad moment” if William stood on the balcony without his wife and children. He also suggested that a brief appearance could put a stop to the “wild speculation” surrounding Kate’s condition.
“I think sunlight is the best treatment here. I think that in terms of their public relations approach to this, that [the palace] really should step up and tell people, maybe not in great detail, but at least what we’re dealing with here,” Andersen said.
Kate has been a staple at Trooping the Colour since joining the royal family. However, she and William previously skipped the ceremony in 2020 and 2021 when the event was scaled back due to COVID-19 concerns.
