Princess Kate Middleton, also known as the Princess of Wales, made her first public appearance since announcing her cancer diagnosis on June 15, 2024. She joined other members of the royal family including King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the annual Trooping the Colour military parade held in London. The event marks the monarch's official birthday.
Middleton rode in a state carriage with her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. She wore a white dress by Jenny Packham and a coordinating hat by Philip Treacy for the occasion. Middleton had undergone planned abdominal surgery in January 2024 and was hospitalized for recovery. In March 2024, she revealed publicly that she had been diagnosed with cancer following her surgery, but the type of cancer has not been disclosed.
Trooping the Colour is a centuries-old tradition that takes place annually to celebrate the monarch's birthday regardless of when it falls. It involves over 14,000 parading soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians coming together for the ceremony. The king arrives at Horse Guard's Parade, inspects the troops, watches a fly-past by the Royal Air Force and concludes with a 41-gun salute fired in Green Park.
Despite her health battles, Middleton made an appearance at The Mall wearing white with navy details. She is also the honorary colonel of the Irish Guards which presented its flag in the parade. King Charles III wore the tunic of the Guard of Honour Order with a blue garter sash to honor the Irish Guard regiment during last year's Trooping the Colour.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were not invited to Trooping the Colour for the second year in a row as they stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California. It's unclear if Prince Andrew will attend due to his relationship with late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Middleton made it clear that her recovery still has some way to go despite feeling stronger on good days.