Kate Middleton stunned at Saturday’s annual Trooping the Colour parade, an official commemoration of King Charles’ birthday, as she continues her ongoing treatment for cancer.
The appearance marked Middleton’s first royal engagement since Christmas.
The 42-year-old Princess of Wales was all smiles while riding in a horse-drawn carriage toward Buckingham Palace, accompanied by the three children she shares with Prince William — George, 10, Charlotte, 9, and Louis, 6.
The young family later stood on the balcony of the palace, waving to the public alongside Queen Camilla and the 75-year-old king, who’s also undergoing cancer treatment.
Middleton donned a white Jenny Packham dress with black trim and a ribbon embellishment at the neck — an altered version of the same dress she wore last spring on the eve of King Charles’ coronation.
She adorned her dress with a regimental brooch honoring the Irish Guards, who led Saturday’s parade and for whom she serves as their honorary colonel.
While Middleton was unable to attend the Irish Guards’ rehearsal for the parade last weekend, she announced on Friday she would indeed be making her long-awaited return to the public amid reports her cancer treatment has been going well.
In a statement on social media, the royal said she is “making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. … On the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.”
Noting that her treatments will still continue “for a few more months,” Middleton confirmed she would attend The King’s Birthday Parade and remains optimistic she’ll be able to “join a few public engagements over the summer.” Even so, she acknowledged she’s “not out of the woods yet.”
The princess thanked those who have offered her messages of support and understanding as she continues to limit her royal duties, giving herself “much needed time to heal.”
Following Middleton’s “successful” abdominal surgery in January, and subsequent absence from the public eye, she revealed on March 22 she’d been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer.
She said she’d resume her royal duties once she was able but needed to “focus on making a full recovery.”
Six weeks earlier, King Charles announced his own cancer diagnosis following treatment for an enlarged prostate. His exact form of cancer has not been confirmed, with the palace only saying it’s unrelated to his previous procedure.
