KATE MIDDLETON WOWS IN WHITE AT TROOPING THE COLOUR
Kate Middleton returned to the public eye on Saturday:
The Princess of Wales attended Trooping The Colour in London wearing a stunning white and black dress and matching hat for her first public appearance of 2024.
Kate’s been out of the public eye for the last six months following abdominal surgery in January, and her subsequent cancer diagnosis.
Despite a difficult few months, the Princess looked well and in good spirits:
She courageously shared her health news with the public back in March, announcing her decision to stay out of the spotlight as she began a course of “preventative chemotherapy.”
After three months away, the Princess uploaded a statement uploaded to social media on Friday. Giving an update about her health, Kate announced that she’d attend Trooping the Colour. She also confirmed that she’s “making good progress” but that she is “not out of the woods yet”, and that she’s still receiving treatment.
Kate added that she’s experiencing “good days and bad days” and that she plans to “join a few public engagements” over the summer if she continues to feel well.
Trooping the Colour, also known as The King’s Birthday Parade, is an annual military ceremony celebrating the official birthday of the British Sovereign.
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The event showcases a patriotic display involving hundreds of soldiers, horses, and musicians in the King’s honour.
This year’s parade involved 242 military working horses, 250 military musicians, 40 pipers and drummers, an extremely large dog, and more than a thousand dual-role soldiers of the British Army’s Household Division. (Below, the Irish Guards’ regimental Irish Wolfhound mascot Turlough Mor.)
The parade begins at Buckingham Palace with a procession down The Mall to Horse Guard’s Parade.
The Princess of Wales was joined by her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The Wales children looked smart in their coordinating outfits, matching their mother’s monochrome ensemble. This is the third time the children have accompanied their mother at the parade to date.
This year, Kate rode in the Glass Coach.
The Glass Coach is one of the primary ceremonial carriages of the British royal family. Created in 1881, it was purchased by The Crown for the coronation of King George V in 1911.
The Glass Coach makes appearances at various state events each year but is most famously known for its role in royal weddings. It transported Princess Margaret to her wedding in 1960 and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. It also carried Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh after their wedding in 1947.
This is the first time in 12 years that Kate has processed in the Glass Coach — I expect it was a decision made for her comfort, to shelter her from the cold and rain given her diagnosis. I believe Queen Elizabeth II rode in the coach during 2012’s Trooping the Colour for similar reasons.
The weather was particularly unseasonable this year. It was a very wet and windy day:
During some moments of the parade, the glass windows became misty with condensation. The princes and princesses attempted to clean the windows with their hands so they could still wave to the gathered crowds:
William didn’t join his immediate family in the carriage. As is tradition, the keen and experienced horseman took part in the procession on horseback. This year, he saddled a horse named Darby.
In his role as honorary Colonel of the Welsh Guards, the Prince wore the regiment’s distinctive red uniform and traditional bearskin cap.
