The Princess of Wales has today announced that she will attend Trooping the Color tomorrow to support King Charles at one of the biggest events in the royal calendar.
Kate, 42, has been out of the public eye for months after announcing she was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer and has since been receiving preventive chemotherapy.
The princess missed the Colonel’s Review, the traditional rehearsal of Trooping the Colour, last Saturday and doubts were raised about whether she would attend the annual event.
But today it was announced that the mother will be at her husband’s side tomorrow, along with her three children, Prince Louis, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
It will be a big boost for King Charles, who has also partially resumed his royal duties while undergoing cancer chemotherapy, to have his “beloved daughter-in-law” in mind.
To mark the news that Kate will be attending, Kensington Palace has also released a stunning new portrait of the princess taken in Windsor this week by Matt Porteous, which shows her looking good and in a reflective mood.
Today it was announced that Kate will attend Trooping the Color tomorrow. Above: The princess photographed with her husband, Prince William, and her children, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George.
The King has attended garden parties and visited charities after making encouraging progress in his treatment.
While it is understood that Kate’s attendance tomorrow does not signal a return to royal duties, she has no doubt been encouraged by her father-in-law’s example of successfully managing her public commitments with ongoing treatment.
In his statement today, he said he plans to “work from home a bit” over the summer and hopes to “join in on some public engagements over the summer.”
Following the announcement of Kate’s cancer, King Charles said he was “very proud of Catherine for her bravery” when speaking about her journey with treatment.
“Her Majesty is ‘very proud of Catherine for her bravery in speaking out as she did,'” Buckingham Palace said in March.
The couple also had a private lunch the day before Kate bravely revealed her cancer diagnosis to the world, leaving the King feeling “very emotional.”
The close relationship with Kate was already evident when Charles and Camilla visited Kate at the London Clinic while she was recovering from abdominal surgery earlier this year.
Following the announcement of Kate’s cancer, King Charles said he was “very proud of Kate for her bravery” when speaking about her journey with treatment. Above: The couple photographed together in 2021
The then Duchess of Cambridge and the Prince of Wales have been photographed sharing a giggle on several occasions, including during this event at the Stanford Hall Defense Medical Rehabilitation Center in Loughborough in February 2020.
Although the monarch was receiving treatment at the same hospital, it was still an unusual break with royal tradition and his late mother, for example, did not often visit her husband Prince Philip’s bedside, and vice versa.
It was a testament to how close the King is to his daughter-in-law, with whom he is united by their shared love of art.
The King reportedly believes he is doing a “wonderful” job raising George, Charlotte and Louis, and is now able to spend more time with his son’s family as they live just a few minutes’ drive from Windsor Castle.
In fact, the King gave an idea of the great respect he has for Kate when he sweetly mentioned the Prince and Princess of Wales in his opening speech at a state banquet in Nairobi.
King Charles, 74, who was accompanied by Queen Camilla, recalled Prince William and Kate’s engagement in Kenya in 2010.
He said: “It was here, within sight of Mount Kenya, that my son, the Prince of Wales, proposed to his wife, now my beloved daughter-in-law.”
It will be a huge boost for Charles to have his daughter-in-law by his side tomorrow, given Kate’s popularity.
According to IPSOS, Kate is the most popular royal, with 69 per cent in favor of the Princess of Wales, followed by her husband Prince William.
Images showing closeness, such as this photo of the Queen’s thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral in June 2022, make it clear why Charles has said several times that the family is “lucky” to have Kate .
She is also one of the hardest-working senior royals, having made 128 engagements in 2023.
In recent years, Buckingham Palace’s balcony has been seen increasingly bare, as King Charles favors a “slimmed down” monarchy.
In the late Queen’s day, it was not unusual for around 40 royals to appear on the balcony to watch the flight and greet well-wishers.
But in 2022, it was reduced to 18 and last year only 14 members of the Firm made the cut.
In 2011, Kate made her Buckingham Palace balcony debut in Trooping the Color as the Duchess of Cambridge, shortly after her marriage to Prince William and has been a constant presence at the event ever since.
The Princess will travel in a carriage with her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis before appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside the rest of the Royal Family.
In her message, the princess says she has been “blown away” by all the kind messages of support and encouragement she has received in recent months.
“It has truly made a big difference to William and I and has helped us both through some of the most difficult times,” she wrote.
In Kate’s message posted today, she admitted that she has “good days and bad days” but is “making good progress” with her treatment.
Kate’s message also said: ‘On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give up to let your body rest. But on good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling good.
‘My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months.
‘On days when I’m feeling pretty good, it’s a pleasure to get involved in school life, spend personal time doing the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to work a little from home.
‘I’m looking forward to attending the King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join in on some public engagements over the summer, but I also know I’m not out of the woods yet.
‘I’m learning to be patient, especially in the face of uncertainty. Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body and allowing myself to take this much-needed time to heal.
“Thank you so much for your continued understanding and to all who have so bravely shared their stories with me.”
To mark the news that Kate will be attending, Kensington Palace has also released a stunning new portrait of the princess taken in Windsor this week by Matt Porteous, which shows her looking good and in a reflective mood.