Kate Middleton made her first public appearance during Trooping the Colour 2024 on Saturday, alongside Prince William and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Though Princess Kate has attended Trooping the Colour many times in the past, this year holds a special significance, as it marks her first official public engagement since attending Christmas Day church services with the royal family late last year. It comes nearly three months after the princess revealed the shocking news that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
Kate was seen early in the day, spotted in the back of a car with her children and husband, Prince William. She could be seen through the vehicle’s window wearing a white ensemble edged in black, complete with a hat, with her hair pulled back. The dress is by one of the Princess of Wales’ go-to designers, Jenny Packham, and the hat is designed by another royal favourite, Philip Treacy.
Samir Hussein
Kate’s presence at Trooping the Colour 2024 was only confirmed on Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the traditional parade in honour of the monarch’s birthday—one of the highlights of the annual royal calendar—was set to begin. In the caption of an Instagram post on the official account that she shares with Prince William, Kate shared a message of thanks and hope, along with her scheduling news.
“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” she wrote. “On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well.”
Kate shared that her treatment is “ongoing and will be for a few more months,” and expressed hope that she would “join a few public engagements over the summer” beyond Trooping the Colour, tempering expectations by saying that she is “not out of the woods yet.”