Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, made her first public appearance on Saturday since undergoing surgery five months ago, revealing that she had cancer. She attended a military parade in central London.
Kate rode in a covered carriage with her three children to watch the “Trooping the Colour,” an annual military parade near Buckingham Palace that celebrates the official birthday of King Charles.
Crowds lined the streets, cheering as the carriage passed by, vastly outnumbering a small group of protesters holding placards against the monarchy.
King Charles rode in a separate carriage with Queen Camilla. Prince William, Charles’ heir, and Kate’s husband, rode on horseback alongside other senior royals.
Dressed in a pale outfit with a white and navy ribbon and a broad-brimmed matching hat, Kate watched the ceremony from a window overlooking the parade ground. She pointed out elements of the event to her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
King Charles saluted the passing troops from a covered dais on the parade ground. After the parade, Kate smiled and waved at the crowds from her carriage, despite the driving rain.
Kate, 42, has been undergoing preventative chemotherapy since the cancer diagnosis. Her improved health allowed her to make this public appearance, her first since December.
In a personal message on Friday, she shared that she was making good progress but was “not out of the woods.” She expressed her anticipation for Saturday’s parade and hoped to attend more public events over the summer.
Kate spent two weeks in the hospital in January after major abdominal surgery. Two months later, she announced in a video message that tests had revealed cancer.
Before the parade, onlookers expressed excitement about seeing the princess. “I know it’s the king’s birthday, but all eyes will be on Kate because we haven’t seen her for a while,” said John Loughrey, who wore a T-shirt with pictures of Kate.
Another onlooker, Anne Gaely, carried a life-size cardboard cutout of the princess and was relieved to see her in person. “We’ve all been very, very worried and uneasy about it, but now this is going to be joyful, euphoric, and fabulous,” she said.
In her Friday message, Kate mentioned she had been “blown away” by thousands of kind messages from around the world, which had greatly supported her and William.
Kate may permanently step back from royal duties amid her cancer recovery, according to sources. Kensington Palace has not provided specific details about her cancer or treatment, except that she began preventative chemotherapy in February.
Her illness coincides with that of King Charles, 75, who has also been receiving cancer treatment. He returned to public duties in April but has limited his schedule to minimize risks during his recovery.
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