Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, made a significant return to the public eye on Saturday during Trooping the Colour 2024. This annual ceremonial event celebrates the official birthday of the British sovereign. Although not an official return to royal duties, Kate’s presence marked a crucial milestone since announcing her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
On Friday, the Princess confirmed her attendance in a heartfelt message shared across the Wales’ social media accounts. Accompanied by a photograph taken by Matt Porteous, she wrote, “I’m looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet. I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much-needed time to heal.”
In March, Kate revealed in a prerecorded video message that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy. This shocking news came a couple of months after she underwent planned abdominal surgery, during which cancer was discovered via postoperative tests.
During Trooping the Colour 2024, held at Horse Guards Parade ground in London, Kate was joined in a carriage by her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. They watched the celebration from the Major General’s office alongside other family members.
Sources tell Vanity Fair that King Charles, who is also undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of cancer, was “very much looking forward” to the event. Trooping the Colour dates back to the 18th century, and Charles first attended at just three years old, participating in the parade since 1975. According to former Buckingham Palace spokesperson Dickie Arbiter, Charles’s attendance was “non-negotiable.” He stated, “You really cannot imagine Trooping the Colour without the monarch. I understand the king was determined to be at his birthday parade.”
