Kate Middleton joined other royals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the King’s official birthday, making her first public appearance since being diagnosed with cancer.
The Princess, also known as Catherine, was driven in a state carriage with her three children from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade to watch the celebration, known as Trooping the Colour. She could be seen wearing an Irish Guards regimental broach, a nod towards her role as their honorary colonel.
The family was later seen watching events from a viewing point, while Kate’s husband William, the Prince of Wales, rode on horseback.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla were also taken in a carriage from Buckingham Palace, bringing cheers from the packed crowds as they made their way slowly up The Mall. The King took part from a carriage rather than on horseback this year due to his own cancer diagnosis.
For Kate, it was her first public appearance since Christmas Day – weeks before her cancer diagnosis.
Kate gave an update on her health on Friday, saying she had made “good progress” in her recovery. But she said she expected her treatment to last for a few more months and was “not out of the woods yet.”
King Charles III is also taking part, despite also undergoing cancer treatment.
Trooping the Colour is the magnificent military spectacle that sees 1,400 officers and soldiers, together with 400 musicians and 200 horses, process through the streets of London from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guard’s Parade, while crowds line the route.
The event – one of the highlights of the royal calendar – is a tradition marking the official birthday of the British sovereign for more than 260 years. However, Charles’s actual birthday is in November.
Britain’s Kings and Queens have doubled up on their festivities since the 18th century, holding both a public celebration – the official birthday – and a more private event on the real date.
The tradition is believed to have started with the party-mad King George II in 1748. Like Charles III, George was born in November, when British weather is often far from ideal.
Proving that point, the weather took a downward turn as events neared their end. Crowds waiting for the King to arrive back at the Palace were lashed with heavy rain and gusts of wind. Some onlookers struggled to hold their umbrellas in place.
Following the pageantry, the parade returned to the palace where the sovereign and members of the family assembled on the famous balcony to greet cheering crowds of wellwishers below.
