Catherine, Princess of Wales, made her first public appearance since she was diagnosed with cancer while attending Trooping the Colour, a military parade on Saturday to mark the official birthday of Britain’s King Charles III.
Kate, dressed in a white dress and hat, rode in a carriage with her three children at the start of the annual celebration before disembarking to watch the events from a vantage point. Prince William rode in the parade on horseback. The family will also appear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace as they watch a Royal Air Force flight.
The performance comes almost three months after the future Queen of England revealed she was receiving chemotherapy. The 42-year-old princess had not been seen at a public engagement since the service on Christmas Day last year.
Spectators on The Mall heading to Buckingham Palace to witness the annual ceremonial event welcomed Kate’s cautious return to public appearances.
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“I was so happy to hear the news last night,” said Angela Perry, a teacher. ‘She is our future queen. She’s so important.’
Royal officials will be keen to manage expectations about Kate’s gradual return to the public eye, and have insisted her appearance will depend on her. treatment and recovery.
In a statement on Friday evening, Kate said she is “making good progress” with her treatment, which will continue for several months, but that she is “not out of the woods yet”.
“I am looking forward to attending the King’s Birthday Parade with my family this weekend and hope to take part in a number of public appearances this summer,” said the princess.
Kate’s announcement that she had cancer came just weeks after it became known that her father-in-law, King Charles III, had also been diagnosed with the condition. Neither has revealed what type of cancer they have.
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British head of state Charles, 75, was given the green light to resume public duties in April after doctors said they were “very encouraged” by his progress.
His first assignment was to meet staff and patients at a cancer treatment center in London. Earlier this month he attended commemorative events in northern France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. During the Trooping the Color, Charles took part from a carriage instead of on horseback, as he has done in previous years.
Trooping the Color marks the official birthday of the British sovereign and is a meticulously choreographed military tradition that dates back more than two centuries. It starts at Buckingham Palace and continues via The Mall to the Horse Guards Parade, where Charles will receive a royal salute before inspecting the soldiers.
Charles was actually born in November, but the second birthday tradition dates back to King George II in 1748, who wanted to celebrate in better weather as his own birthday was in October.
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The ceremony has its origins in preparations for war, when all the regimental flags – or colors – were shown to the soldiers so that they would recognize them in the confusion of battle.
This year’s event includes three of the five military horses shot through the streets of central London in April after being startled by noise from construction work.
