Catherine, Princess of Wales, is seen arriving at Buckingham Palace in Westminster, ahead of the “Trooping the Colour” ceremony Ben Cawthra/Sipa USA/
Catherine, Princess of Wales has arrived at Buckingham Palace for the King’s official birthday parade, her first public appearance since revealing her cancer diagnosis.
The Princess and her husband Prince William were seen being driven to the palace together as Trooping the Colour got underway.
People of all ages have gathered along the length of the Mall for the event. Some onlookers are wearing Union Jack bucket hats and fascinators, while others are waving flags. The most patriotic have been singing the national anthem.
The Princess of Wales – also known as Kate – will watch the rest of the parade with her family nearby, and is expected to join fellow royals on the balcony.
It represents a significant moment in the Princess’s recovery, marking her first public appearance since Christmas Day – weeks before her cancer diagnosis.
Kate gave an update on her health on Friday, saying she had made “good progress” in her recovery. But she said she expected her treatment to last for a few more months and was “not out of the woods yet.”
King Charles III is also taking part, despite also undergoing treatment for cancer.
Trooping the Colour is the magnificent military spectacle which sees 1,400 officers and soldiers, together with 400 musicians and 200 horses, process through the streets of London from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guard’s Parade, while crowds line the route.
The event – one of the highlights of the royal calendar – is a tradition marking the official birthday of the British sovereign for more than 260 years. However, Charles’s actual birthday is in November.
Britain’s Kings and Queens have doubled up on their festivities since the 18th century, holding both a public celebration – the official birthday – and a more private event on the real date.
GET OUR FREE ROYAL NEWSLETTER
- CNN’s Royal News is a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on the royal family, what they are up to in public and what’s happening behind palace walls.
- Sign up here.
The tradition is believed to have started with the party-mad King George II in 1748. Like Charles III, George was born in November, when British weather is often far from ideal.
Following the pageantry, the parade returns to the palace where the sovereign and members of the family traditionally assemble on the famous balcony to greet cheering crowds of wellwishers below.
Kate’s appearance was a big topic of discussion among onlookers as they chatted and warmed their hands on flasks of tea. “We’re very excited,” Reine Geldenhuys, 41, told CNN.
“We are hoping to walk up to the balcony and see her beautiful face again… We’ve been missing seeing her out in public so we’re here for her mostly,” she added.
In a slight change from his inaugural procession last year, King Charles will participate from a carriage rather than on horseback. He and Queen Camilla were driven in a carriage down the Mall along with other royals.
This year’s proceedings have been adapted as the 75-year-old continues his treatment for an unspecified form of cancer.
Doctors have been encouraged by his progress, allowing him to resume public-facing duties in April, but each engagement he carries out is reviewed and adapted where appropriate.
For the events on Saturday, he will carry out his review of troops seated in an Ascot landau carriage alongside Queen Camilla.
Three of the British Army’s horses which bolted across in London in April have returned to duty and are expected to take part in this weekend’s birthday parade. The two remaining horses “are enjoying a summer holiday in the Chilterns” and will return to service in due course, according to the army.
