After 172 days, Kate Middleton is making her long-awaited first appearance since announcing her battle with cancer.
The Princess of Wales arrived at Buckingham Palace ahead of the annual Trooping the Color parade – also known as King Charles’ Birthday Parade – on Saturday morning in London, which will mark her first public appearance since December 25, 2023. She was photographed sitting in the backseat of a car next to her son, Prince George10, and husband Prince William while sporting a black and white dress and matching hat. The couple’s youngest son, Prince Louis6, can also be seen.
Since attending a Christmas service with other members of the royal family last year, the mother of three underwent abdominal surgery for an undisclosed reason in January and remained hospitalized for almost two weeks. At the time, Kensington Palace said it was “unlikely” that Kate would “return to public duties before Easter.”
Following speculation and conspiracies about her whereabouts as she has largely remained out of the public eye except for a few sightingsthe future queen resurfaced on March 22 in a video message, sharing that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
While the 42-year-old royal hasn’t revealed what type of cancer she has, she said at the time that she was undergoing “preventative” chemotherapy. In a rare update shared on FridayKate revealed that she will be undergoing treatment for “a few more months”, but it would be present at the parade. It seemed unlikely that she would attend the annual event – one of the most significant public appearances for the royal family all year – after lack of the Colonel’s Review, which is considered the final rehearsal of the parade, a week before.
“I’m making good progress, but as anyone undergoing chemotherapy knows, there are good days and bad days,” she shared in her message posted to social media on June 14. You have to give in to resting your body. But on the good days, when you feel your strongest, you want to make the most of feeling good.”
Kate continued: “My treatment is ongoing and will last a few more months. On days when I feel good, it’s a joy to participate in school life, dedicate my personal time to the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to work a little at home, I’m looking forward to taking part in the King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to attend some public engagements over the summer, but also knowing that I’m not out of the woods yet. “
“I’m learning 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,” the royal concluded her statement. “Thank you so much for your continued understanding and to all of you who have bravely shared your stories with me.”
A new photo of the princess – taken in June by royal family photographer Matt Porteous at Kensington Palace – was also shared, showing her standing with her arms crossed in front of a tree trunk as she looked up.
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